


Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon

by OathKeeper



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Ballroom Dancing, Eventual Smut, F/F, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Phichit gives the best advice, Suicide mention, There's magic if you squint REALLY hard, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-09-17 13:09:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9325715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OathKeeper/pseuds/OathKeeper
Summary: Yuuri is the Prince and Heir to the throne of the Sun Kingdom. Before his twentieth birthday, he is due to marry Princess Mila from the Moon Kingdom, to whom he's been engaged since childhood. Despite the fact that he isn't even attracted to women in the first place, it seems that Yuri's future is completely set in stone. However, when the princess and her entourage arrive at the Royal Sun Court, she is accompanied by two unexpected guests-- her two brothers, the younger Prince Yuri and the eldest Prince Viktor, who is also the Heir to the Moon Kingdom's throne. With such a short grace period before the wedding, will Yuuri gain the courage to possibly forge a different future for himself?





	1. Not Ready

**Author's Note:**

> Please accept my addition to this fandom, however meager it may be.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!
> 
> I have no Beta.

_ “Mama, why did you decide to marry Papa?” _

_ “My silly Yuuri~” Hiroko spoke with a cheerful laugh, “I didn’t choose your father. We were destined to be married by the decision of our parents.” _

_ “So does that mean you will choose who I marry?” the tiny 7-year-old questioned with anticipation. _

_ “Actually, sweetheart, we already have!” Hiroko answered with excitement. Yuuri couldn’t help but bounce anxiously in his mother’s lap. _

_ “You really did? Tell me who it is! Are we getting married soon?” the tiny woman chuckled at her son’s line of questions.  _

_ “No, no, you won’t get married until you’re much older, honey,” she spoke, quelling some of the excitement so that Yuuri would sit still, “But I will tell you this: her name is Princess Mila, she’s very cute now, and I’m sure that when you meet her she will be very, very beautiful, and unconditionally kind to you.” _

_ “Will we... fall in love?” Yuuri asked in a half-whisper, the nature of the question causing his cheeks to turn red with embarrassment. _

_ Hiroko’s face softened at the innocence of her only son, and she delicately caressed his pudgy face with a reassuring smile. _

_ “I certainly hope so, Yuuri darling. Love is something I’ve always wanted for you.” _

***

All those years ago, Yuuri had been nothing but excited at the thought of meeting his betrothed. His younger self looked forward to the day where he would be able to meet her face-to-face, and eventually they could live ‘happily ever after’ just like in the storybooks his mother used read to him.

Now, however, he was  _ completely _ dreading the idea of it all.

Twelve years had passed since then, and Yuuri was now at the precipice of adulthood at age nineteen. In three months, on the eve of his birthday, he would be watching as his future spouse walked down the aisle, before being forced to seal an eternity of false devotion to one another with a reluctant kiss.

It wasn’t, of course, that he didn’t want to be married. Deep down, he yearned for love, and it secretly pained him to know that, even if Princess Mila was all the things that his mother had described-- beautiful, kind, and unconditionally loving-- he still wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with her like his parents wanted.

It was a serious issue, being a future king who only felt attraction to men.

Not only did the problem affect his future happiness, but there was also the issue of whether or not he would be able to tell Mila about his sexual preferences, whether they would manage to… consummate the marriage on their wedding night, and, ultimately, whether they would be able to start the next generation of little royal babies-- and, most importantly, produce a male heir.

The thought of it all made Yuuri want to puke. Why did the line of succession have to have so many stupid little rules? If anything, his elder sister, Mari, should have been chosen as the heir. Not only was she born first, but she was also much more firm, strong-willed, and didn’t care at all about what others thought of her. In a broad sense, she was mature beyond her years, and had been that way ever since they were children together. Unfortunately, she was born with two X-chromosomes and a vagina, which somehow equated her to not being eligible to rule over the Sun Kingdom when the time came.

And so, the responsibility fell to Yuuri. Thankfully, however, his parents treated him and Mari relatively equally in the daily aspects of their lives. They were both educated on the same topics, allowed to attend the same events, and were both punished equally if they broke a rule. The only difference was what would be expected of them later on in life.

Except, the problem for Yuuri was that ‘later on’ was now.

Today was the day that Princess Mila would be arriving at court.

They had received a letter by courier after dinnertime the previous night, giving notice that the princess and her entourage were just three towns away, and would likely arrive in the early afternoon the following day.

And, from what Yuuri could tell, the light seeping in between his bedroom curtains meant that the day had come. 

_ How ironic, that the Prince of the Sun Kingdom would dread the sunrise,  _ he thought to himself as he tossed in his oversized bed, trying to get into a more comfortable position so that he could sleep at least a little bit longer.

Almost as if on cue, however, his bedroom door burst open, and an overly-cheerful voice broke the silence of the dark room. 

“Yuuri~ The sun is shining~!” Phichit chirped as he skipped over to Yuuri’s bed.

All Yuuri could manage in response was a sleepy groan as he burrowed deeper under the warm bed covers. He could almost hear Phichit frowning down at him for it, though.

“No, Yuuri, that’s the opposite of what you need to do right now!” his friend exclaimed as he bent over and began shaking Yuuri violently to wake him up.

“Ughhh, Phichit--”

Suddenly, the bed covers were pulled completely off, along with Yuuri’s beloved warmth.

“Ack! Phichit, I’m freezing!” Yuuri shouted in retaliation.

“The temperature of your room is the least of your problems right now, Yuuri!” Phichit retorted matter-of-factly as he tossed the blankets onto the floor for washing. 

Well, Yuuri really couldn’t argue with him on that one.

“Look, Phichit,” Yuuri spoke at a more acceptable volume as he reached over to his bedside table and put on his glasses, “I know it’s your job as my attendant to wake me up every morning, but you’re also my friend, so please give me a break and act according to my current predicament.”

“And how exactly do you think I should be acting?” Phichit challenged, opening the blackout curtains and exposing the room to the sun’s morning rays.

“Well, I think there are two good options,” the prince replied in a forceful tone as he sat up on the edge of the mattress, “One: close those godforsaken curtains, tuck me back into bed, and then leave me there until I die of starvation, or Two: open the goddamn window and just push me to a quick death.”

“Yuuri…” Phichit spoke softly, a tinge of melancholy in his voice, “You really shouldn’t joke about that, you know.”

Tensing up a bit, Yuuri lowered his gaze to the floor as he felt regret wash over him. Phichit was right, those really weren’t things to say lightly. 

Despite having a supportive friend like Phichit to confide in, there were still times that Yuuri couldn’t keep his depression at bay, and certain thoughts would wiggle their way into his mind. Of course, he would always immediately push the thoughts out on his own, or go and find Phichit or one of his other friends in the palace to keep him company. He had never seriously planned out the act of ending his emotional distress, but the idea was always in the back of his mind, waiting to pop up without notice.

“Sorry, Phichit…” Yuuri muttered, staring down at his bare feet, “I didn’t actually mean it.”

“I know you didn’t,” Phichit replied, placing a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, “And just so you know, I’m trying to do my best as both your attendant  _ and  _ as your friend. And I truly do think that waking you up and getting you ready for today is going to help you.”

“But… how will I be able to face her, Phichit?” Yuuri asked, looking up at his best friend, who gave him an encouraging smile.

“Yuuri, I think you’re forgetting that she’s basically in the same boat as you. This is her first time here, her first time meeting you, and obviously it will be her first time getting married, too. Not to mention, she’s the one who has to move to a completely new place and adjust to a totally new lifestyle. Not to insinuate that your problems are insignificant, it’s just that  _ she _ also has a lot of issues to deal with, too.”

Yuuri felt his stomach flip. It was true, Princess Mila likely would need someone to help her through this process, as well. Maybe they would be able to find some sort of even ground, and could support one another? The thought was certainly better than shouldering all the responsibility on his own…

“I hadn’t thought of it like that…” Yuuri spoke, mostly to himself.

“Okay!” Phichit announced, pulling back from his friend and returning his hands to their rightful spots on his hips, “Now let’s get you cleaned up!”

***

After washing, combing through his hair, and dressing, Yuuri found himself sitting in the Private Royal Dining Room with his father, mother, and sister, as they all quietly ate their breakfast.

As the case always was, there were of course other individuals of noble descent who were currently living at court. However, the total population was likely close to a hundred, and they only gathered all together to eat for special events. Not to mention, most of them were older or middle-aged aristocrats that Yuuri had nothing in common with. Usually, he only spoke to those people out of necessity or respect at formal gatherings. More realistically, the only court residents who he could really consider to be ‘friends’ were the ones closer to his age. Besides Phichit, there was Guang-Hong Ji, the son of the Star Kingdom’s ambassador; Minami, who was Yuuri’s cousin on his mother’s side; and Seung-Gil, who didn’t really speak all that much but still would for some reason decide to hang around whenever they were all spending time together-- really, Phichit was better friends with him than Yuuri was.

In addition, Yuuri was also friends with a girl named Yuuko, who was Mari’s handmaiden and just a few years older than him, and Takeshi, who was the same age as Yuuko and had been serving as the Royal family’s Steward ever since their former one retired. Honestly, Yuuri had been surprised how many people actually chose to spend some of their time with him. Having a good group of friends was one of the small things he was thankful for.

Currently, though, Yuuri was glad that none of them were there to see him eat his feelings.

Reaching to the center of the table, the prince grabbed three more raspberry pastries from the little tray that they were displayed on.

“Yuuri, you’ve already had six of those, haven’t you?” Mari pointed out, obviously aware of his habit of binge-eating when he got anxious.

“Yuuri, try not to make your stomach upset before Princess Mila gets here~” his mother chided.

“I bet he’s got butterflies in his stomach from how excited he is!” Yuuri’s father, Toshiya, said with a hearty laugh from the head of the table.

Well there was certainly  _ something  _ going on with his stomach, that was for sure.

Giving a fake smile to ward off any prodding from his family, Yuuri gave a quick glance over to his father. Despite being the King of the Sun Kingdom, Toshiya really didn’t give off a very ‘kingly’ atmosphere. He was a small man, even shorter in stature than Yuuri was, and was neither particularly fat or muscular. He was well into his sixties by now, and had been the reigning monarch for nearly forty of those years, but he seemed to always have a cheerful attitude despite the weight of the work that he did. Yuuri could never really decide whether the man’s constant giddiness was a product of sheer confidence, or blissful ignorance. In the tiny amount of one-on-one time he’d had with his father, Yuuri liked to think it was a bit of both.

More than once, Yuuri had considered asking his father about advice for when he became king. Frankly, the idea of it scared Yuuri to death, and he prayed that it would be a long, long time before he would be crowned king. However, the opportunity to ask Toshiya never arose. Then again, Yuuri had also considered admitting his sexuality to both his mother and father, too. But, if he couldn’t even ask for something as small as worldly advice from his parents, it didn’t feel right to burden them with the weight of knowing that their son and the eventual future king of their beloved country couldn’t produce an heir.

Well, technically he  _ could, _ but…

Yuuri didn’t want to think about it.

Which was all well and good, considering their breakfast was then suddenly interrupted by Takeshi, who entered the room huffing and puffing, almost as if he had been running. 

“What is it, Nishigori-kun?” Toshiya spoke, a hint of worry visible through his thick spectacles.

“The tower guards spotted Princess Mila’s entourage just over the next hill, they should be at our gates in ten minutes.”

“They’re  _ that  _ early?!” Mari gasped.

“Well, well! Best get down to the entrance hall for the reception, then!” Toshiya replied, accepting the situation as it was.

Yuuri, on the other hand, was internally  _ freaking out.  _

_ Shit shit shit shit shit shit…  _ was all he could think. His heart was beating rapidly, and his stomach was doing somersaults in his gut. He wasn’t ready yet! Granted, he probably was  _ never  _ going to be ready, but...

Of course his demise would arrive two hours early.

***

Yuuri was surprised that a puddle hadn’t formed at his feet from all his nervous sweating.

Together, he and his close family stood in perfect queue in the front courtyard, just outside the doorway into the entrance hall, where the rest of the members of court waited their turn to get a glimpse and a curtsy from the only princess of the Moon Kingdom.

Hearing his own heartbeat in his ears, Yuuri watched the front gates with an unparalleled stare.

_ Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, they’ll turn back…  _

Nope. Nevermind.

With a creak, the wrought-iron gates opened wide, making way for the series of horse-drawn carriages to enter the courtyard in perfect procession. Looking at them, it was obvious to tell that they were not from the Sun Kingdom. In comparison to the bright reds, blues, and yellows used in the local artisan work for the royal family, these carriages were notably muted and uninteresting. Hopefully the people inside the carriages were more lively…

He was pulled from his thoughts when the first carriage came to a halt several yards in front of them. 

_ She must be in there. _

Hoping that nobody could hear his heart tap-dancing in his chest, Yuuri stood as still as he could and watched the footman open the side door of the carriage.

Out stepped a young woman with fiery red hair who Yuuri could only guess was Mila. If it was, then his mother had been right-- she was indeed beautiful. Not only did the tint of her hair give her a certain charm, but her blue eyes (which was a trait unique to the Moon Kingdom) contrasted with the color beautifully. Gazing down, Yuuri could see that she appeared to be relatively fashionable, as well. She wore a gray traveler’s dress, with gold detailing on the hem and around the collar. From what Yuuri knew about the moon kingdom, anything gold or gold-colored was restricted solely for the royal family to wear.

In either of their cultures, however, Yuuri could easily see that she was out of his league. He hoped that her attitude would be as pleasant as her appearance.

“Princess Mila of the Moon Kingdom,” the footman introduced her in a clear voice, confirming Yuuri’s assumption.

As Mila started across the gravel yard towards Yuuri’s family, however, something else caught his eye: there were other people exiting the royal carriage as well.

_ That’s strange,  _ Yuuri thought, _ the only people who would be riding in that carriage with her are-- _

“Prince Yuri of the Moon Kingdom and Prince Viktor, Heir to the Throne of the Moon Kingdom,” the footman announced. 

Mila’s brothers were here too?

“Why on earth…” Yuuri mumbled to himself. Before he could think on it any longer, though, he was suddenly greeted by the lovely Mila directly in front of him.

“You must be Prince Yuuri…” she spoke quietly with a smile, a tint of red present on her face to match her hair. Oh, so she really was nervous too?

“Ah, yes…” Yuuri began, trying to form practical sentences in his head before he spoke them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Carefully taking her right hand in his own, he placed a kiss on the top of it before flashing a grin up at her.

“Er, and you can just call me ‘Yuuri’,” he added.

“U-um…” Mila stuttered, delicately drawing her hand back, “I hope that we will get along. I’d love to know more about you.”

“Same here,” Yuuri replied with a nervous laugh, “I look forward to it, Princess.”

“Just ‘Mila’ is okay,” she responded with a smile before turning to enter the front doors to the palace.

Yuuri finally exhaled, not even realizing before that he had been holding his breath. First impression was pretty good so far, no mess-ups.

Suddenly, however, another figure appeared in front of him for an introduction.

“You,” the voice said in an intimidating tone, “You’re the one my sister is going to marry?”

Looking up, Yuuri saw it was one of the princes. From the looks of it, it was the younger one. He was short and thin, with green-blue eyes and shoulder-length blond hair that was pulled up out of his face-- except for his bangs, which apparently decided to rebel and partially lay over his right eye.

“Ah, yes, I am,” Yuuri replied, uncertain why such a small person could be so intimidating. “You must be Prince Yuri?”

“Yeah,” the blond replied in a blunt tone, “And your name is Yuuri too?”

“Yes…”

The shorter prince made a sudden gagging sound, which effectively caught Yuuri off-guard.

“Gross, why the fuck do I have to deal with some other Yuri? Can’t the Sun Kingdom make up their own fucking names and stop stealing our shit?”

“Excuse me, what--”

“Yuri,” another voice chipped in, “Watch your language.”

Turning, Yuuri caught his first close-up view of the older prince and eldest of the Moon King’s children. What was his name again?

Before Yuuri could even remember, though, he froze in place.

The man was impeccable. His silky, silver hair gleamed in the mid-morning sunlight, and Yuuri couldn’t even begin to guess what shade of blue his eyes were. He wore a maroon military jacket with gold buttons adorning the front, and the red-wine color of it brought out the beautiful paleness of the man’s skin. That was another thing; most of the inhabitants of the Moon Kingdom were pale because their winters were long and their summers were short.

“Please excuse my little brother,” the older prince spoke, “He’s in a rebellious stage, not to mention it’s been a long journey getting here.”

Fuck, even his  _ voice  _ was hot…

“Uh, yeah…” was all Yuuri could say in response. 

“Yeah, being in a carriage with you  _ and  _ Mila for weeks was literally hell on wheels, you douche!” Prince Yuri shouted in rage. His elder brother simply brushed the anger aside with a perfect smile before pushing him along to go and follow Mila into the palace.

Our Yuuri, however, could do nothing but watch as they went. Mostly, though, he just watched the silver-haired angel-brother as he walked away. Okay, we’re being honest? He just gazed longingly at the man’s perfectly-shaped ass.

After the wedding, he was gonna leave, right?

But the wedding was three months away.

Yuuri had this sex-god living in his home for the next three months and he couldn’t even remember his name? Hopefully Mari or Phichit knew…

Mostly, though, all Yuuri could currently think about was one thing:

_ Holy shit.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Yuuri, he heard Vik's name but he was too busy checking him out that he forgot what it was...
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I genuinely hope people like this idea. I've seen and read a couple Royalty/Prince AU's around the YOI fandom, but I wanted to do my own take on one, along with going a little more in-depth.
> 
> Ideally, this will be a multi-chapter story. I don't know how many chapters, but I will update as quickly and as consistently as I can. I am currently doing the college thing, however, so I can't make any definite promises, but I have loved Yuri on Ice since Day 1, so I'm pretty damn committed (obsessed).
> 
> Please let me know if you enjoyed this first chapter! The more response I get, the more I will feel motivated/inclined to update this.
> 
> A few things to note:
> 
> \- I've seen some fanart on Tumblr depicting Yuuri as the personification of 'night' and Victor as the personification of 'day'. This is originally where the idea for the Sun Kingdom and the Moon Kingdom came about. However, I switched them because Japan is literally called "The land of the rising sun", so I feel that it really fits for when we're considering all the Japanese/Asian characters as a whole. On the flipside, I feel the Moon Kingdom was a good fit for the Russian/European characters because they are located farther North, where there is less daylight (not to mention the winters can get especially gloomy due to a lack of sunshine). I hope this makes sense.
> 
> \- Mila's dress:  
> http://www.fanplusfriend.com/medieval-borgia-gothic-elegant-retro-stand-collar-buttoned-up-front-dress-long-sleevelets-2colors-instant-shipping/
> 
> \- Viktor's coat:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b5/7d/2d/b57d2d96cec6ea74e551cc6fbb510924.jpg
> 
> \- Of course it's mentioned that Yuuri is 3 months shy of being 20 in the fic. In this universe, Mila is already 20, Mari is 25 (I guess?), Viktor is 24, Yuri is 18, Sara is 21, and Otabek is also 21.
> 
> \- I will delve into other characters' relationships more in future chapters.
> 
> Until next time~


	2. A Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the second chapter gets speed-written just one day after the first! (Don't expect this from me too often, it only happened because I was writing all weekend and had no other obligations).
> 
> Please enjoy the feels!
> 
> I have no Beta.

That very night, the Royal Sun Court held an extravagant dinner and a ball in honor of the arrival of Princess Mila-- and, of course, the unexpected presence of her brothers.

“What a pleasant surprise, to have the two princes here as well!” King Toshiya announced happily as the royal family, the royal guests, and the remainder of the court feasted together in the grand dining room. If the king were less happy-go-lucky, it would have been considered an offense for guests to arrive without prior notice. On the flipside, however, it would have given a poor impression on the part of Yuuri’s family to cause grievance on the first day of their guests’ arrival. Not to mention, one of the unexpected guests in question was none other than the  _ freaking Heir to the Throne of the Moon Kingdom!  _

Yuuri was internally punching himself. He still couldn’t remember the hottie’s name, and for some cruel reason nobody at the dinner table was saying it so that he could be reminded!

“Brother,” Mila spoke up as the second course of food was being brought out, “I thought you had mentioned in the letter you sent that you and Yuri were coming as well?”

Yuuri turned to see which brother she was addressing. Judging by the facial expression of the eldest, he was the one at fault.

“Oh, you know what? I must have forgotten to mention that!” he said with a laugh before taking a noticeably large sip of wine.

Yuuri raised an eyebrow in confusion. Did he really forget something like that? The Moon Kingdom’s First Prince appeared more organized and focused than his mistake seemed to show. But then again, they had only spoken to each other once so far, so making initial judgments was still somewhat difficult.

“So, Princess Mila,” Queen Hiroko addressed, “Will you be needing any of our court servants to assist you in moving in and getting settled?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the Moon Princess gestured that it wasn’t important. “My father made certain that I would have enough servants of my own, now that I will be living here. For the grace period, he even insisted that our Royal Steward, Georgi, accompany us here to ensure that everything goes smoothly.” Turning slightly, she gestured to a brunette man who was standing at the edge of the room with the other servants and staff. He certainly seemed… intense, as he was keeping his entire focus fixated on the three royal siblings. However, he didn’t look to be much older than them. In fact, he could’ve easily been the same age as the eldest. Because they were rather foreign-looking, however, it was hard for Yuuri to tell.

“And I assume you have your own personal handmaidens and attendants?” Hiroko spoke again to the siblings before taking a bite of pork.

“But of course,” Mila said with a bright smile, “I have my handmaiden, Sara, and Yuri’s being attended by our close family friend, Otabek…”

“And my dear attendant is named Christophe,” the gorgeous older sibling chimed in, “See? He’s over there~” The prince waved happily to a different corner of the room, where a man with blonde hair and voluminous eyelashes waved back with a coy look on his face.

_ What was that?  _ Yuuri wondered to himself. The Heir and his attendant seemed to have a rather… interesting dynamic. He wondered if it was... more than just companionship. Really, it wasn’t unheard of for nobles to have some sort of relations with their servants behind closed doors to… well, ‘relieve stress’.

After all, he and Phichit had been guilty of it before when they were younger. That was how Yuuri had discovered his preference for men in the first place. They knew going into it that there were no romantic feelings between them, though, so it never went beyond just experimental, casual sex. Thankfully, it did nothing to harm the close relationship that he and Phichit had. If anything, it strengthened their bond because they were so comfortable with each other.

As Yuuri’s eyes wandered around the room, in fact, he noticed Phichit sitting further down the table with Guang-Hong, Minami, and Seung-Gil. Since he was technically nobility, they still had a seat at the table reserved for him like always. 

Deep down, Yuuri wished he could be seated over with his friends so that this whole ordeal could be less stressful for him, even if only a little.

***

After the meal was finished, the throng of people moved to the ballroom for music and dancing. It was the largest room in the entire palace-- even bigger than the throne room-- and was truly a sight to behold. The windows on three sides of the room towered at impressive heights, and the ceiling was decorated with masterful paintings of the sunny sky. Massive chandeliers hung from said ceiling, casting a bright, golden glow down to the people dancing below to the music of the tiny orchestra, who played their violins, cellos, and other instruments in one of the corners of the vast room.

That was one thing that Yuuri was thankful for this evening-- that there would be dancing.

Ever since he began dancing lessons as a child with the help of his private tutor, Minako-sensei, he had adored it like nothing else in the world. Sure, nobody started off being good at anything, but he quickly got the hang of it, and now could dance every single one of the ballroom styles-- most notably, the waltz. Yuuri simply loved the way his mind wandered and his body would take over when he danced. He even enjoyed dancing with women, which was a godsend because that was the only way he would be allowed to dance at public events. He even went so far as to learn the steps and positions for females, as well.

In short, dancing was a sort of therapy for the prince. And, without a doubt, he needed some therapy now more than ever.

Without even needing any outside encouragement, Yuuri approached Princess Mila and bowed deeply, noticing that she looked even more beautiful after changing into her light blue gown. 

“Would you dance with me, Mila?” he asked with a smile. The princess gave a look of surprise at the Sun Prince, obviously taken off-guard by how confident and forward he was being.

At least dancing was the one thing he could be confident in.

“Uh-- yes, of course,” Mila replied, holding her white-gloved hand out.

Smiling, Yuuri took her hand into his own and led them off onto the dance floor.

Just as Yuuri had timed, the previous song had ended, and a new one began precisely as the pair of them were at the center of the ballroom. Smiling at Mila (who was directly at eye-level with him, thanks to her high heels), Yuuri wrapped his right hand around her back and led her into the first steps of the dance.

“I’m obligated to tell you,” Mila spoke as they shifted back and forth across the marble floor, “That you’re probably much better at dancing than I am. Most people are.”

Yuuri laughed softly at her honesty. “You might think that about yourself, but from the looks of it, you’re doing well so far!”

The young red-haired woman gave him a smile of appreciation.

“Yuuri… are you nervous?”

The question caught the dark-haired prince by surprise, though not enough to cause him to miss a step. “Nervous about dancing? Or nervous about…”

“About the marriage. About me. About… all of this,” Mila trailed off.

Phichit was right, Yuuri could tell. Mila was also apprehensive about their whole ordeal. She was trying to open up to him. To build a relationship based off of trust and transparency.

Yuuri would return the kindness.

“Yes. I’m… I’m terrified,” he replied honestly, his brows furrowing as he felt his heart clench in his chest.

Mila stared up at him with wide eyes. After several moments of silence between the two of them, she spoke up.

“...Me too!”

Yuuri smiled down at her. It was so refreshing, knowing that he wasn’t the only one who was sweating bullets when he thought about his fast-approaching birthday and, ultimately, their future wedding.

“Umm, Mila…” Yuuri spoke, looking her directly in the eyes, “If there’s anything bothering you-- literally anything, I mean it-- you can talk to me about it. Whatever it is, I want us to be honest with each other.” Not only did he want it for Mila’s sake, but also, if they could become close enough, he wanted to be able to tell her the truth about himself. If anything, she was the person who needed to know the most out of anyone, even moreso than his own parents.

Mila tightened her grip on his hand upon hearing his words. Were those… tears welling up in her eyes?

“Thank you, Yuuri,” she managed to speak. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she outwardly appeared to quell the emotions rising up in her. Yuuri had mastered that talent a long time ago, too. 

“Actually,” she said, looking down at their feet as they continued to move to the tempo of the music, “There is something…”

“Yes?” Yuuri replied so she would know he was listening carefully.

Mila was suddenly silent again. It was definitely something extremely important to her, considering the way she was acting.

“...It would probably be best if I told you in private sometime, if that’s alright?”

Yuuri exhaled. If it were him, he would have done the same thing. At the moment, they were currently surrounded by dozens of people. And he of all people knew the importance of privacy. If Mila’s worries were as serious as they appeared to be, Yuuri completely understood that she would like the utmost discretion.

Which reminded him…

“Absolutely,” Yuuri responded kindly, “You can tell me whenever you’re ready. I know we just met today.” He watched as Mila nodded in acknowledgment. “When you do tell me, though, there’s also something that I need to talk to you about…”

As his sentence ended, so did the music.

Lowering their arms, the pair of them bowed and curtsied along with the rest of the crowd. 

“Okay then,” Mila spoke, slightly adjusting her dress. “I hope that soon we will get a chance to be alone sometime, and we can... say what needs to be said.”

Yuuri nodded in response. “Yeah, sounds good.”

***

After their dance had finished, Mila went off to converse with other members of the court, likely trying to better establish herself in a new and unfamiliar place. Yuuri left her to do that on her own, since she seemed independent enough.

Glancing around the expansive ballroom, Yuuri tried to look for Phichit, with no luck. No sign of Seung-Gil, either. He did spot Guang-Hong and Minami, however, who were standing off to the side of the room together, eyeing the table of refreshments that was set up nearby.

“Are you two trying to sneak some champagne  _ again? _ ” Yuuri asked the pair of them as he approached.

Freezing, they both shifted their gaze over to him, before sighing in relief when they realized who he was.

“Yuuri-kun!” Minami beamed with excitement.

“Yuuri, don’t scare us like that!” Guang-Hong pouted, “From far away you sounded just like Takeshi!” Yuuri chuckled at the thought of Takeshi catching the two underage boys stealing alcohol.

“Sorry, I was just coming to say hi,” he spoke plainly.

Looking over at the table with the flutes of champagne, he noticed nobody was really there.

“You know,” he muttered to the two younger males, “You could just go over there and quickly grab some glasses for yourselves. If you’re casual enough, I don’t think anyone’s going to stop you.” The blood drained from their faces.

“W-we couldn’t possibly…!” Guang-Hong stammered.

“Okay then,” Yuuri shrugged, “I’ll just go get some for you.”

The two boys gasped, but before they could voice any convictions, Yuuri had already begun to stride over to the table. Lucky for him, there was already a tray set up with four full glasses on it. Being careful to balance the beverages properly, Yuuri picked up the metal tray and returned to Guang-Hong and Minami. 

“See? Easy.”

The two younger boys beamed at the dark-haired prince, thanking him profusely as they each took a glass from him before shuffling off somewhere to drink in peace without adults to potentially catch them.

That left Yuuri with two glasses of champagne that he never intended on having.

Oh well. He had them, so why not drink them?

Setting the tray back on the beverage table, Yuuri held the two glasses, one in each hand, and sauntered outside through the large doors and onto the veranda. 

Though the ballroom was undeniably beautiful, and he would’ve liked to dance some more, he had tired of being around all those people, so distancing himself was the best thing to do at the moment. Not to mention, he loved the feel of the crisp night air as he stood there, gazing up as the waxing moon cast beams of light down onto the royal gardens.

He was about to take a sip from one of the glasses of champagne, when he suddenly heard a splash.

Turning towards one of the side gardens, Yuuri followed in the direction that the noise came from. It helped that he knew the gardens well, enough to be aware that only west garden had a fountain. 

Stepping down the large marble stairs, Yuuri turned the corner around a large shrub to find that someone was sitting at the edge of the fountain, dipping one of their hands into the water.

_ Someone else is out here all alone?  _ Yuuri questioned. It was odd to see someone else so detached from the crowd, to say the least.

In an effort to step closer, Yuuri accidentally kicked a stray pebble on the ground.

“...Who’s there?” The person at the fountain spoke, turning in place as they sat on the stone ledge.

Yuuri almost dropped both his champagne glasses.

It was that gorgeous prince from before!

“U-uh, umm…” Yuuri stuttered, stepping back slightly, “Sorry, I just heard a sound, and…”

“Oh, it’s you!” the beautiful man chirped, “Come and sit if you’d like. I don’t want to hog the fountain all to myself.”

_ It’s not really the fountain that I’m interested in, but okay…  _ Yuuri couldn’t help but think.

“Uh, alright…” he responded verbally. Stepping over to where the other prince was perching, he sat on the stone ledge with the two champagne glasses still in hand.

“Were you planning on meeting someone here?” the silver-haired prince asked, gesturing to the flutes of liquid. 

Yuuri blushed furiously.  _ Crap, he’s going to think I’m some sort of alcoholic or something… _

“Uh… no. I wasn’t. These were both going to be for me,” he reluctantly admitted.

The blue-eyed man let out a laugh that made Yuuri’s heart flip.

“Well, that’s understandable,” he replied after his giggles had subsided. “Today must have really been quite a wild ride for you.”

“Heh, that’s an understatement…” Yuuri agreed, not daring to look at the other man for too long. “Umm, would you like one…?” he meekly held out one of the glasses of champagne, trying his best to conceal how much his hands were shaking.

The Moon Prince stared at the glass for a short moment, then gazed back at Yuuri.

“Thanks~!” he replied gratefully before taking the glass into his own hand.

Yuuri felt his heart flutter when their fingers brushed.

“So,” the light-haired prince spoke after taking a sip of the drink, “You and Mila really seemed to be getting along well earlier.”

Yuuri gave the other man a confused look. “Earlier?”

“When you were dancing together-- by the way, you are truly an incredible dancer,” the Moon Prince gave him a wink.

Yuuri’s breath hitched in his throat. “You uh… saw us?”

“As I was heading out the door, yes,” he took another sip of champagne. “I’ve never seen anyone move quite as fluidly as you do.”

“...Thank you…” Yuuri whispered politely, unsure of what else to say.

“Do you like her?” the foreign man asked simply.

Yuuri was caught off-guard by the question. Was he asking because he was looking out for his younger sister?

“Umm… I do like her so far, as a person,” Yuuri replied, trying not to overstep his bounds. “Granted, I’ve only just met her, but… she seems very genuine.”

“She truly is,” the silver-haired prince agreed, looking up at the moon and sipping lightly from his glass, “My sister deserves all the happiness in the world.”

“S-she and I even made a promise to one another already,” Yuuri spoke after absent-mindedly gulping down more than half of his glass, “About being completely honest if something was bothering us.”

The mention of it seemed to pique the blue-eyed man’s interest, and he shifted his gaze to look directly at Yuuri.

“Really?” he questioned, “And did she end up being totally honest with you?”

“Erm, not yet,” Yuuri explained, “It seemed really important, so we agreed to discuss it later, where we could be more private about it.”

“Hmm…” the other prince pondered, “You must be worried it’s something you won’t like, I imagine?”

Yuuri gave a soft laugh at that. “I don’t think there’s really anything she could say that could be worse than the reservations that I have about our marriage.” That particular confession made the other man suddenly perk up with interest.

“You really think so?” 

Crap, had he said too much?

“A-all I’m saying is that, no matter what her worries are, I fully intend to be as trusting as possible with her. I hope that she and I can support one another for as long as we need to. It’s not the marriage or the inheritance or the dowry or even tradition that matters to me, it’s about what makes both of us happy.”

The Moon Prince seemed very impressed with Yuuri’s answer. Turning slightly, the silver-haired man set down his champagne and inched closer to where the brunette was seated.

“You know, when I first met you I immediately thought that Mila was entirely out of your league,”

Yuuri felt offended, but he didn’t voice his concern. In fact, he could barely do anything now that the other man was leaning so close to him.

“You seemed far too uninteresting to be any proper match for her,” the man continued, “But now…”

‘Now’ what?

“Now I see there’s more to you than your facade, Yuuri.”

Hearing his name on the other man’s tongue made Yuuri quiver.

Wait. His name!

“I almost forgot to ask,” Yuuri barely managed to squeak the words out, “But, could you remind me what your name is?”

The other man looked dumbstruck.

And after a few short moments, he burst out laughing.

_ What the hell is with this guy’s reaction…?  _ Yuuri wondered. If anything, he was expecting the other prince to be slightly offended, but not this.

Not that he’s complaining-- the man’s laughter was heavenly. Just like seemingly everything else about him.

“Umm… why is it funny?” Yuuri asked in confusion. The older royal stifled his fit of giggling before responding. 

“My apologies, it’s just… Nobody has ever needed to ask my name before. This is a complete first for me.”

Yuuri flushed with embarrassment. Yeah, of course nobody had ever needed to ask his name. Not only was he one of the most important people in his kingdom, but he  _ looked the part.  _ Yuuri, on the other hand, looked so underwhelming that people often mistook him for a lesser noble, or even a servant.

The man in front of him, though, shone brightly like the moon itself. Like a flawless white diamond.

And if he was a diamond… then Yuuri was basically dirt.

He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when the beautiful man spoke again in his smooth voice.

“Anyways, though… I’m Viktor.”

Viktor. That’s right. Now that Yuuri heard it again, he remembered when the footman had announced it earlier that day.

“It’s a pleasure, Prince Viktor.”

“Likewise, Prince Yuuri,” Viktor replied with a drop-dead gorgeous smile.

Yuuri felt like his heart couldn’t take much more of this, at least for tonight.

“Well, I think I had better get back to the party,” the brunette spoke, “People might be wondering where I am…”

He began to rise from his spot on the fountain’s ledge, until a soft hand gripped his wrist, causing him to plop back down where he had been sitting.

“Wait--” Viktor spoke, causing Yuuri to jolt a bit in surprise.

“W-what is it?” the younger prince asked nervously.

“A prince should look princely when he’s at a royal ball, don’t you think?”

Yuuri wasn’t sure he understood what Viktor meant, but he just nodded in response.

“Come here…” Viktor reached his hands up to cup Yuuri’s face, and the Sun Prince’s heart was doing gymnastics.

What on earth was Viktor doing?

Skimming his pale hands past Yuuri’s ears, Viktor gently slid the younger prince’s blue glasses off of his face and put them into Yuuri’s breast pocket.

“Ooh, now we’re getting somewhere~!” he chirped happily, apparently pleased with Yuuri’s appearance. “Now, what about this…”

Reaching his hands further up, Viktor played a little bit with Yuuri’s hair before seeming to have an idea.

Splashing his hands into the water next to them, he then ran his fingers through Yuuri’s dark locks, slicking them back so that they were out of Yuuri’s face.

After leaning back to analyze his work, however, the pale man froze.

“W-what is it?” Yuuri asked with concern. “Do I look okay?”

“I-it’s…” Viktor muttered, “You look… Well, see for yourself.”

Turning to look down at his reflection in the water, Yuuri audibly gasped. 

He barely even recognized himself-- and it wasn’t because his vision was slightly blurry from his lack of glasses.

Even with slightly flawed vision, Yuuri could tell from looking into the water that he looked… hot?

Were people from the Moon Kingdom magic or something?

“Wow… thank you, Viktor.”

Turning back to look at the silver-haired man, Yuuri noticed that he was being stared at.

“Are you alright?”

Viktor blinked a few times before responding. “Oh, of course, I’m fine!” he said, waving the question off. “Mila’s going to be very impressed, Yuuri~”

“Oh. You think so?”

Viktor smiled. “Absolutely! You should make this your new everyday look so that she can swoon everytime she sees you~~”

“Heh, I’ll see what my attendant can do,” Yuuri said with a laugh.

“Now, were you going to go back to the ball?” Viktor asked. 

Yuuri merely blinked in response, having honestly forgotten what year it even was.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I guess I was…” he muttered. “But, umm, what about you?”

“I think I’ll be staying here until the event’s over, I need some peace after the long journey to get here,” Viktor admitted, dipping a finger into the fountain’s water and spinning it around.

“I think I’d like to stay then, too.”

Viktor’s finger stilled.

“I mean, if that’s okay with you. I don’t want to disturb your peace and quiet or anything,” Yuuri clarified.

Not that it was really all that quiet where they were anyways. Besides the trickle of the water coming from the fountain, the pair of them could also easily hear the orchestral music being emitted from the open doors of the ballroom, and even a hint of chatter from the crowd of people inside. Granted, it was considerably stifled compared to what it was like inside, but the sound was there.

And it was impossible for the pair of them to not notice when a new song suddenly began to play.

“...Dance with me?” Viktor asked suddenly. Yuuri almost fell off the ledge.

“You mean… together?” he murmured, half-wondering if this was all a dream.

“Yes, of course,” Viktor confirmed, “I know for two men it’s not really a socially acceptable thing to do at public events, but nobody can see us here, and I just…”

Yuuri gulped anxiously.

“...I just loved the way you danced, I want to experience it for myself!” Viktor finished with a smile.

_ Well, who am I to deny him that?  _ Yuuri thought to himself.

“Okay,” the brunette replied simply as he stood. “Would you like to be the male or the female?”

Viktor also rose from his position on the fountain’s ledge. Dusting himself off, he simply flashed another angelic smile. “Surprise me~”

Hoping that Viktor wouldn’t be able to tell how much he was shaking, Yuuri held his left hand out to the taller man, who easily entwined it with his own. The electric shock of his touch went straight down Yuuri’s spine.

“Okay, come closer…” Yuuri muttered instructively.

Without needing any other confirmation, Viktor quickly closed the space between the two of them, so that their torsos were touching.

Carefully, Yuuri slid his quivering hand down and around Viktor’s back, his pulse racing at a million miles an hour.

“This makes me the girl then~” Viktor spoke, obviously unaware of the weight of his words.

_ No, you’re definitely not a girl…  _ Yuuri thought, wishing he could say the words out loud.  _ Otherwise my heart wouldn’t be beating this fast. _

Finding step with the beat of the music, the two men began to shift from side to side, letting the waltz carry them across the cobblestones and around the periphery of the fountain without a care in the world.

“Wow, Yuuri, you’re so good at leading!” Viktor praised with delight, “You’re the best dance partner I’ve ever had~”

Yuuri tried his best to clear out all of the innuendos that were flooding into his mind.

“Thanks,” was all his quivering mouth could manage to say. 

Frankly, he was too busy trying not to let the blood flow down  _ south  _ at the moment that he couldn’t do much of anything else besides dancing. He secretly thanked his lucky stars for his impeccable muscle memory.

Despite how nervous he was, however, Yuuri was enjoying himself very, very much. It was like this man, Viktor, had walked straight out of a storybook to woo Yuuri like this. It seemed almost surreal. Frankly, Yuuri had no idea what to think. He could only treasure the moment before it came to an end.

And as expected, it ended far too soon for his liking.

The song completed with its final diminuendo, and the two men stopped their movements. However, Yuuri noticed quickly that Viktor wouldn’t let go of his hand. He gave the taller man a questioning look.

“That was spectacular, Yuuri,” Viktor commented in a sultry voice, “Give my regards to whoever taught you.”

“I’ll be sure to,” Yuuri replied, uncertain if his heart could withstand looking Viktor in the eyes when they were still so close.

“Yuuri…” Viktor spoke in almost a whisper. 

God, Yuuri could listen to this man say his name all day.

Wait, what was he doing now?

Keeping grip of Yuuri with his right hand, Viktor used his left to graze up Yuuri’s shoulder and neck, towards his chin, which he then held in place, forcing the shorter man to look up at him. Red-brown eyes met with cerulean blue.

“Yuuri, you know…” Viktor muttered softly.

Yuuri waited, not even daring to breathe.

“... Mila is going to be very lucky to have you.”

Yuuri’s stomach sank.

That’s right. Mila. The marriage. He couldn’t allow himself to have thoughts like this about Viktor. Not only was he a man, he was also Mila’s  _ brother.  _ He was going to rule over the Moon Kingdom one day. Yuuri was heir to the throne of his own kingdom. They had responsibilities, expectations. He had…

He had to leave.

“I… I should go now,” Yuuri sputtered, pulling his hand from Viktor’s grasp.

Without another word, Yuuri walked as fast as his legs could carry him. He strode into the ballroom once more, gliding between the bodies of the people that were still there. Feeling the panic attack flooding into him-- ready to drown him-- Yuuri sped into a run when he reached the hallway, and he sprinted as fast as he could through the palace corridors until he reached his room.

Tears were already falling down his face before he even got the door open.

Why was his heart so  _ weak? _

He had just met Viktor today, and his heart was already like this.

Before today, Yuuri had been okay with the idea of simply feigning a happy marriage with a girl. That was, until Viktor had given him the tiniest bit of hope.

And now that he’d had a taste of hope, Yuuri knew he’d never be able to stop thinking about it. 

Viktor had both blessed and cursed Yuuri all at once.

Plummeting onto his bed, Yuuri sobbed into his pillow in mourning for the one thing that he wanted so badly; love.

But he couldn’t fall in love.

More specifically, he couldn’t  _ act  _ on it.

It was too late for him to stop the feelings that were coursing through him now. He was already in love. And it was killing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm cry :( I hate to torture poor little Yuuri, but it's for the sake of the plot.
> 
> Please comment and let me know what you think so far!
> 
> Next chapter, we will get some more inclusion of the other characters, so look forward to it~ (I know I am).
> 
> Notes:
> 
> \- Mila's ball gown:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/6d/f2/466df2da8f68faff8c1564156f644f66.jpg
> 
> \- If you're wondering, I imagined Viktor and Yuuri dancing to 'La Parfum de Fleurs'. It's probably one of my favorite tracks from the YOI OST.


	3. Magic Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri takes some steps in the right direction. Viktor is a beautiful fool. Mila's entire world is a swirling abyss of confusion. Phichit gives great advice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating this! School happens sometimes and unfortunately that has to come first. Please accept this chapter with Mila and Yuuri bonding as my apology!
> 
> I have no Beta.

The morning after the banquet, Yuuri was awoken by gentle shaking. Groaning and slowly opening his eyes, the prince was greeted by a worried-looking Phichit.

“Yuuri, are… are you okay?” the dark-skinned boy questioned. What on earth was he referring to? What happened to ‘Good morning, Yuuri’?

Oh. That’s right. Yuuri had ended up crying himself to sleep last night.

Looking down to examine himself, the brunette found that he was still in his formal suit from the ball, and had even drifted off without bothering to burrow under the bed covers. Running his fingers through his hair, he could tell that it had gotten completely messed up from his tossing as he slept, and he had even forgotten to remove his glasses from his breast pocket (luckily they hadn’t been bent or broken). Given his state, of course Phichit would be worried to find him like this.

Which led to another matter…

Should he tell Phichit about what happened last night?

Yuuri furrowed his eyebrows, immediately knowing the answer. Of course he needed to talk to Phichit about this. Not only could he potentially give Yuuri some advice, but there was also no way that the young prince could possibly shoulder the burden of both being in love _and_ lying to his best friend. That just wasn’t happening.

“Phichit, you… might want to sit down for this.”

And so they sat together on the bed, with Yuuri recounting the events of the previous night, describing how he’d had a wonderful conversation with the most beautiful man he had ever met, how they drank champagne together, how they _danced..._

“Wait, he asked to _dance_ with you?!” Phichit exclaimed in shock.

Yuuri bashfully nodded in response.

“ _Yuuri,_ that means he _likes_ you!” the black-haired boy emphasized his point with dramatic hand movements.

The Sun Prince blushed, but denied his friend’s claim. “You don’t _know_ that, Phichit! Dancing is dancing, not a marriage proposal. Hell, I’ve danced with my _sister_ before. Just because we danced doesn’t mean that Viktor has the same feelings as me--”

“Okay, but _Yuuri!_ You have to at least admit that he must be interested in men. I mean, what sort of straight man asks another man to dance with him? Not to mention, you two were completely alone in the garden _at night!”_

“Okay, fine, let’s just _suppose_ that he’s gay-- or bisexual, or pansexual, or whatever,” Yuuri gave a heavy sigh before continuing, “Even if he was, there’s no way I could act on my feelings. He probably has a fiancé of his own. I have to marry Mila, and we have to… have children--”

“Yuuri, don’t worry about that stuff right now,” Phichit encouraged, “You have three months to get to know him before the wedding-- before he leaves. Do you really want him to just go back home after all that time without at least _getting to know him?_ ”

Yuuri gripped the comforter of his bed. Once again, Phichit had a damn good point. Yuuri really did want to know Viktor better. He wanted to be a part of Viktor’s life, even if it wasn’t exactly the way he dreamed. But the only problem was…

“But… I’m so awkward,” Yuuri mumbled, “Especially around him.”

“Hmm…” Phichit thought for a moment. Perking up, he appeared to have an idea. “I know! You and Viktor have something in common; you’re both the heirs to your kingdoms! If you start with talking about prince stuff, I’m sure you could get to the more important bits, like his parents, his life back home, his interests, his _sexuality--”_

“Okay, Phichit, I get it!” Yuuri shouted, blushing furiously.

“And you’re in luck,” Phichit added as he stood from the bed. “We’re taking the siblings from the Moon Kingdom on a tour of the palace grounds after breakfast.”

“We _are?_ Nobody ever tells me anything in advance…” Yuuri pouted. “I need to mentally prepare myself for these things, you know.”

“Nope!” Phichit put his hands on his hips. “Because if you get enough time to think about it, you’ll end up _overthinking_ and then everything goes to shit.”

“Ouch, Phichit…”

Deep down, Yuuri knew his friend was right, though. For living in the palace almost as long as Yuuri had, Phichit had a much healthier outlook on life and the world in general. The prince was glad that he had such a good friend to rely on. Not to mention, he was truly happy that he had decided to open up to Phichit about his feelings for Viktor. Phichit was only concerned for Yuuri’s happiness, and he always gave the best advice.

“Okay!” Phichit said as he began to undo Yuuri’s disheveled tie, “Let’s get you looking good enough for sexbomb Viktor~”

That reminded Yuuri.

“Oh, by the way Phichit, there’s a new look I’d like to try…”

***

As Mila stood in her new bedroom, being dressed for the day by some of her maids, she couldn’t help but think about her dance with Yuuri from the night prior. She thanked the stars in the sky that her fiancé seemed to be so trustworthy. Though he had been relatively forward about dancing with her, and there were still many other unknowns about him, Mila knew deep in her heart that Yuuri was a good person.

It almost pained her to know she couldn’t give him the love that he deserved.

Her thoughts shifted to the conversation that they had together, and her heart rapidly quickened its pace.

Sooner rather than later, she would have to tell Yuuri that she only loved one person, and it wasn’t him.

“You look gorgeous,” an all-too-familiar voice cooed behind her.

Mila didn’t even have to turn around to see who it was. She’d heard that voice every single day of her life.

“Thanks, Sara,” she replied with a smile. “You were right, this dress will be perfect for being out in the gardens.”

Turning to examine herself in the mirror, Mila gave a small twirl. The dress that her handmaiden has picked for her was a free-flowing satin number, colored in a light, dusty pink color. Not only would it keep her cool while outside in the sun, but it was impeccably beautiful and comfortable, too.

“Only the best for you,” Sara spoke with a smile, “By the way, your breakfast is here.”

Turning to fully face the other young woman, Mila finally noticed that her other maids had left to see to other duties. She gave Sara a smirk.

“Thank you, darling,” she spoke in a sultry voice, silently stepping forward to close the space between their bodies.

Once their chests were touching, and Mila’s nose was only centimeters away from Sara’s, the redhead traced a hand up the other girl’s collarbone and neck before cradling the side of her face. Closing the distance between their faces, she pressed a soft but passionate kiss to the tan girl’s lips.

“Ooh, I’ve never seen you so grateful to me for bringing you breakfast~” Sara teased her princess after they had pulled apart.

“It’s not really the breakfast that I’m thankful for…” Mila said, her expression turning serious.

The dark-haired handmaiden brought her tan hand up to touch Mila’s, lovingly pressing her face into the touch.

“I’m glad that I could come here to be with you, too,” Sara spoke in a half-whisper, “Michele almost didn’t let me. I’m sure he would have put up more of a fight if he wasn’t out on active duty with the royal knights.”

Mila gave a soft smile. “Let’s face it, even if he had forbidden you to come with me, you would have left anyways and come to live with relatives here.”

Sara giggled at her lover’s words. “You know me too well.”

Locking her blue eyes with Sara’s amethyst ones, Mila was about to give her another kiss before a loud pounding on the door interrupted the moment.

 _‘Mila~’_ a male voice called from the other side, _‘It’s your favorite brother~!’_

Mila gave a heavy sigh. That was most definitely Viktor.

 _‘Hey, watch it, douche!’_ another voice resounded from the hallway, _‘We both know I’m the favorite brother! You’re shit compared to me!’_

Oh. And there was Yuri, too.

“Sara, will you please let them in for me?” Mila asked her handmaiden, “I feel like I need to be sitting for this.”

With a giggle, the purple-eyed girl approached the doorway, waited until Mila was properly seated at her tiny breakfast table, and proceeded to pull the heavy door open, revealing not only Viktor and Yuri, but also their attendants, Christophe and Otabek.

“Come on in, boys,” Sara spoke with a smile.

“So,” Mila spoke as the group of males walked into the room, “What has happened that made you decide to turn my private breakfast time into a sausage-fest?”

“Sister, it’s awful!!!” Viktor cried, dramatically throwing himself onto the nearby day bed.

Mila took a sip of her tea, visibly unimpressed. “Well, you’re all here right now, so it can’t be _that_ bad…”

“He’s got a crush on your fiancé,” Yuri said in a monotone voice. Mila almost fell out of her chair.

“You WHAT?!” she screamed, gawking at her older brother.

“Aww, Yuri…!” Viktor whined, “I wanted to be the one to tell her~”

“Enough of that, Viktor!” Mila spoke in a stern tone, “What do you _mean_ you have a crush on him? You’ve only spoken like three words to the poor boy, for god’s sake…”

“Well…” Viktor muttered, rubbing the back of his head, “That was until we spent the night together last night…”

Mila felt like her eyeballs were about to pop out.

“You _slept with him?!_ ”

Sitting down at the table with her, Yuri stuck his tongue out in disgust. “That’s not what you told me, you nasty fucker!”

“Oh, that’s certainly not what I meant~” Viktor giggled, earning an exhale of breath from Mila. Once she had calmed down, the prince continued, “We just drank some champagne, made excellent conversation-- you know, I learned that there’s a real gentleman behind those adorable glasses of his-- oh, and we danced together.”

“You danced. With my fiancé,” Mila confirmed, palming her face in her hands.

“You’re not bothered by it though, right?” Viktor asked, “I mean, everyone here knows you’d never have feelings for him.”

“That’s not the point, Vik!” Mila exclaimed, popping her head up to face him again, “There are so many implications to this, I don’t even know where to start…”

Sara took the opportunity to interject into their conversation, “Not to mention, If I had to guess, I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s not interested in men.”

Yuri made a gagging noise from across the table, “All of this goddamn gay shit... why is our family so disgusting?”

“Yura…” Otabek spoke from behind him, “We danced together last night too.”

The blond boy said no more words of retaliation as a blush rose to his cheeks.

“ _Anyway,”_ Mila redirected the conversation, “Sara’s right. He looks way too sheltered to be attracted to the same sex.”

This time Christophe spoke up. “You know though, the sheltered ones are always the type to want to break out of their shell~”

Viktor winked in agreement. “Exactly! Which leads me to the other reason why I came to see you, dear sister…”

“Oh, this should be good,” Mila groaned, taking another sip from her teacup.

“Yuuri mentioned that the two of you would be opening up to each other about your reservations regarding the marriage,” Viktor spoke, his voice turning serious, “I’m asking-- no, _begging_ \-- that when you tell him the truth about you and vice versa, _please_ tell me what he says!”

Mila gave her older brother one of the most serious looks he’d ever seen in his life.

“Not a chance,” she replied simply.

Viktor grabbed his chest in agony.

“God, where did my cute little sister go?!” he cried. Mila remained unamused.

“I’m not going to break Yuuri’s trust by telling his secret to other people. He intends to be honest with me, and I won’t break that,” she explained simply, “So if you _really_ want to know what secrets he has-- or better yet, if you want to know whether he’s interested in men or not-- then you’re just going to have to ask him yourself. That’s all there is to it.”

Viktor made a pouty face, but didn’t press the matter any further.

“Now,” Mila spoke again, standing up from her chair, “Let’s head outside for that tour.”

***

After only a few minutes of waiting outside, the three siblings from the Moon Kingdom, along with their respective attendants, were greeted by Yuuri and Phichit.

“Sorry we’re a bit late,” the brown-eyed prince called, grabbing the attention of the group as he and Phichit walked up to meet them.

The moment they laid eyes on the sun prince, nearly everyone’s jaws dropped.

Yuuri’s hair had been expertly slicked back and gelled, and his blue glasses were missing, giving an unhindered view of his lovely brown eyes. He looked completely brand new, not to mention confident, as well. Arguably, he could be considered even more attractive than Viktor now.

“He… he’s hot?!” Sara whispered in disbelief at Mila, quietly enough so Yuuri and Phichit couldn’t hear.

“Oh my~” Christophe purred in approval. “I wonder what could have brought on the sudden change?”

“Well…” Viktor muttered, causing the group to turn to face him.

“Why am I not surprised,” Mila gave him a judgemental stare.

“I just showed him how good he looked like that, and said that you’d be impressed if he made it his new everyday look!” Viktor chirped happily, immediately earning a frown from Viktor.

“You just said that so you could see him like that everyday, didn’t you?” she deduced immediately.

Viktor could only smile sheepishly at his sister’s accurate reasoning.

Before they could continue their conversation, however, Yuuri and Phichit had gotten close enough to be within earshot. The brunette prince gave a questioning look at the group, seeing that something was amiss.

“Everything alright?” he asked.

“...Uh, yeah!” Mila responded with a nervous laugh, “We just… You look really nice today.”

A slight blush rose to Yuuri’s cheeks. “Thank you…” he replied quietly.

“Okay, enough of the stupid compliments,” Yuri spoke loudly, “Can we get going now?”

Nodding, Yuuri started leading the group through the palace’s vast gardens.

Having lived in the palace for his entire life, Yuuri could easily navigate through the gardens without a problem. However, as they all continued through the labyrinth of greenery, he soon became concerned that he might actually end up getting them lost. Not necessarily because he was unsure of his navigational skills, but rather because of how nervous he still was while in Viktor’s presence. He hoped the butterflies in his stomach would go away eventually, or at least that he would become used to them.

“Isn’t there a path we can take that’s _shady?_ ” Yuri whined as they meandered down a gravel pathway, “It’s hot as balls out here in the sun like this.”

“It’s your own fault for wearing all black,” Mila replied simply, not even bothering to look at her younger brother.

“He’s also probably too used to the chilly weather back at home,” Christophe added.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Yuuri spoke up, temporarily pulled from his trance, “Is the weather always cold in the Moon Kingdom? I mean, it’s only September, so it can’t be unbearable right now, right?”

“You’re half-right,” Sara explained, “It does get warmer in the summertime. Sometimes it even gets _too_ hot, but that’s only in the dead of summertime.”

“Right now,” Otabek continued, “The rainy season is just about to start.”

“And then it gets _cold_ as balls around November…” Yuri groaned unhappily, “There’s just no escaping it.”

“But you love the snow, Yuri!” Viktor chimed in, “I remember when you were just a baby, and you got so excited to go sledding that you accidentally slipped on a patch of ice and--”

“Shut your _mouth,_ Viktor!!!” Yuri growled, earning laughs from the rest of the group.

It was at this particular moment that Yuuri noticed they were passing a part of the gardens that he knew better than any other.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone else’s attention was focused on the embarrassed Yuri, the brunette slowed his pace, ending up at the back of the group, next to Mila.

“Follow me,” he whispered, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her through an opening in the tall shrubbery.

“W-where are you taking--” she was cut off by Yuuri putting a finger to his lips. He wanted her to be quiet.

“Hey, where’d Yuuri and Mila go?” the pair of them could hear Phichit’s voice coming from several yards away.

“He must have stolen her away to make out~” Christophe joked.

“D-don’t joke about that, Chris!” Sara exclaimed, trying not to make her jealousy obvious.

“Yeah, Chris!” Viktor included, “Yuuri is too much of a gentleman to do that~”

Yuuri tried not to blush too much at the unintended compliment.

Without speaking, he turned back to face Mila, and motioned for her to follow him between the tall vegetation.

As they walked, Mila made the quick connection that they were in a hedge maze. Once they could no longer hear the voices of their friends, she spoke again.

“Where are we going, Yuuri?” she asked.

“There’s a place in the center of the maze that we can sit and talk,” he replied simply, turning briefly to give her a reassuring smile, “Nobody else really goes here because they’re afraid to get lost, so we can talk without worrying about other people interrupting or listening in.”

Mila couldn’t help but smile to herself. She could easily see why Viktor found this kid so endearing.

In only a matter of a couple minutes, the pair found themselves in a tiny clearing, at the center of which was a small well and a stone bench.

“Ladies first,” Yuuri said meekly, gesturing to half of the bench. Mila happily sat, and patted the other half, beckoning for Yuuri to sit as well.

“So…” Mila muttered, filling the slightly awkward silence, “You wanted to know what was worrying me about the marriage, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yes, but only if _you_ want to tell me.”

“I do want to,” Mila clarified, “Did you also still want to tell me your reservations?”

Yuuri paused a moment, but also nodded in confirmation.

“Okay,” the redheaded girl replied. “So, do you prefer who goes first?”

“We… we could just both say it at the same, that way we’re equal?” Yuuri suggested. The idea was somewhat childish, and caused Mila to let out a soft giggle, but she agreed with a nod.

“Sure, let’s do that,” she spoke, “On the count of three?”

“O-okay…” Yuuri’s face was visibly flushed.

“One… two… three!”

_“I’m attracted to men--”_

_“I’m in love with a girl--”_

Silence.

Mila audibly gasped. Viktor had been _right?!_

“Yuuri!!!” she exclaimed, pulling the brunette boy in for the tightest hug he had ever received, “I can’t believe it! You and I are the same!!”

Deep down, Yuuri was relieved. Happy, even. But, on the outside, he looked like he had just seen the ghost of his pet dog.

_She’s facing the same exact thing as me?_

His mind was boggled. What did this mean for them now? What did it mean for their families? For the marriage? For the future?

Pulling back from their embrace, Mila could tell that Yuuri was obviously overwhelmed.

“...Yuuri, I know you’re stressing out right now,” she spoke softly to bring him back to earth, “But we don’t have to talk out the details yet. We have time. I’m just… it makes me so happy to know that we have each other to talk to about this.”

Her words seemed to succeed in calming the brunette. This was apparent by the genuine smile he was giving her.

“... Me too,” he responded, looking like he might cry anytime now.

Mila wasn’t sure whether the tears welling up in his eyes were from happiness, sadness, stress, or some mixture thereof, but she didn’t care to find out. Yuuri was a wonderful person, the only issue was that she didn’t have much practice with consoling anybody other than Sara.

“So now that we’ve got that off our shoulders,” Mila spoke up, “I have a question.”

Yuuri visibly perked up somewhat at the shift in their conversation.

“What’s with this random well in the middle of a huge maze?” she asked, turning and sitting up a bit so she could peek into the blackness down below. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Well, legend says that it’s a magic wishing well,” Yuuri explained, daring to look down into the depths just for a short moment. “People say if you toss a coin down into the well and make a wish, then your wish will definitely come true. They say it’s a reward from the god of the well to those who successfully make it through the maze.

“Aww, that’s too bad,” Mila pouted, causing Yuuri to give her a confused look.

“What’s too bad?” he asked.

“Since we’re royalty, we don’t carry any spare change around! I don’t have a coin to toss into the well.” Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh a bit at her reaction.

“I’m not sure it _has_ to be a coin,” he mentioned lightly, “But yeah, isn’t it funny how we get to live amongst all these luxurious things, but then when we don’t even carry any-- What are you doing?”

As Yuuri had been speaking, Mila had taken the liberty of relieving her ears of the gold earrings that she had been wearing. She gave him a playful grin.

“Well, since we don’t have any coins, then gold earrings are the next best thing, right?”

“What?! No Mila, you don’t have to, I’m sure those earrings are worth _way_ more than--”

But before the prince could finish his sentence, Mila had already flipped one of the pieces of jewelry into the well. It fell so far down into the depths that they didn’t even hear a splash.

“Uh…” was the only sound that Yuuri could make.

“There!” Mila said with a smile before placing the other remaining earring into Yuuri’s palm. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Mila, really, I can’t throw away your expensive jewelry…” Yuuri attempted to refuse.

“Nonsense!” Mila exclaimed, “The other one is already gone, so just do it! What am I going to do with just one earring anyways?”

“I-I mean, it’s probably really expensive gold so you could get it melted into…”

“ _Yuuri_ ,” Mila groaned with anticipation, “I don’t care about all that. I would rather see your wish-- whatever it is-- come true. Besides, how can you put a price on the magic of a wishing well?”

Staring down at the gold piece in his hand, Yuuri simply gave in. Since the earring’s mate was already tossed into the well, what harm was there in him making a wish as well? The worst thing that could happen was… well, nothing.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Yuuri concentrated intensely on the wish in his mind’s eye.

Once he was ready, he tossed the earring.

***

“So, what did you wish for?” Mila asked as she and Yuuri walked through the maze once more, in search of the exit.

“I wished that I would be--”

“Wait, on second thought, don’t tell me!” Mila exclaimed, waving her hands erratically, “We shouldn’t ruin the chances of our wishes being granted!”

Yuuri could only chuckle at how much faith Mila placed in the myth of the wishing well. In truth, he didn’t really believe a single bit of it. But he had to admit, just concentrating on what he wanted most in the world made him feel better, even if it was only slightly. If anything, it at least made him realize some things.

Yuuri had decided that, even if his wish wasn’t actually going to come true, he was going to pretend like it would. And, he wasn’t just going to wait around for some nonexistent magic to make it happen for him.

As daunting as the thought was to him, Yuuri was going to take action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go get 'em, Yuuri!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this :D I will do my best to update again as soon as I can!
> 
> In the meantime, why not go follow me on the Tumblr.com? My URL is oathkeeperwrites.tumblr.com (hint: I love talking to people! Let me hear from you.)
> 
> Until next time~


	4. New Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri builds up the nerve to ask Viktor to have tea with him. Viktor also builds up his nerve. More things end up coming to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY FOR THE GAP IN UPDATES.
> 
> As some of you may know, I am a college student. However, I am also studying abroad in Italy currently, and the past few weeks have been extremely busy (we went to Naples, then Athens, then had a huge project due, and then this upcoming weekend I am going to Florence as well)! I've barely had any time to breathe, much less write, but finally, here is chapter 4 for all of you lovely souls <3
> 
> Please enjoy, and leave a comment (especially if you want super fast updates so we can get to the spicy stuff later on hehehe)
> 
> I have no beta.

After finding their way out of the hedge maze, Yuuri managed to guide himself and Mila back to the way that the rest of the group had been walking. Approaching the six other young adults on the gravel pathway, Yuuri couldn’t help but blush a bit at the possible misunderstanding that they might have at his and Mila’s sudden disappearance. He mentally braced himself to give a believable excuse when they asked where the two of them had gone off to.

To his pleasant surprise, however, the only person in the group that seemed at all fazed was Phichit. Everyone else, including Viktor, simply greeted the pair with a smile when they rejoined the group. Honestly, it slightly concerned Yuuri that Viktor hadn’t even bothered to make a comment on where he had gone with his precious younger sister. Was he mad? Was he truly not bothered by it? Yuuri couldn’t tell.

“Yuuriiiii…” Phichit muttered as they all continued their stroll through the gardens, “Where did you run off to? I know you didn’t get lost, so what’s the deal?”

At this moment, Yuuri realized that he had forgotten to tell Phichit about his promise to speak in private with Mila. He gave a reassuring smile to his best friend.

“Mila and I just needed to talk, that’s all,” Yuuri explained in a half-whisper so the others couldn’t hear.

“About the marriage?” Phichit questioned. Yuuri gave a nod in response.

“Yes, but everything’s fine, don’t worry,” the brunette replied in a confident tone. He hoped that Phichit wouldn’t try to pry too deeply into his and Mila’s private conversation, considering the… sensitive nature of what Mila had confessed to him. He didn’t want to hurt Phichit by keeping something from him, but in all truthfulness it just wasn’t Yuuri’s secret to tell. If he had to decide, he would choose his own dignity and respect of Mila over Phichit’s occasionally nosy disposition.

“Hmm, well that’s good then,” Phichit spoke with a smile before skipping ahead to spark a conversation with Chris.

Yuuri gave a small sigh of appreciation that he had such an understanding friend. It was a good thing that he had picked up on the situation and known not to press any further. Seven years of friendship was truly a blessing sometimes.

“Oh my gosh!” Mila exclaimed, catching the attention of everyone in the group, “You didn’t mention that you had a pool!”

Turning, Yuuri saw the famous pool that served as the centerpiece for the entire garden. He had known it for his whole life, but he understood that in the eyes of the foreign guests, the water feature must have truly been a sight to behold.

Despite having been man-made, the pool was meant to look like a natural body of water. It had an organic shape to it, with sporadically-placed large boulders protruding from the surface. It also had the occasional waterfall, and even a few small cave-like grottos that also served as bridges for guests to walk across as they meandered around the large expanse of water to experience its beauty.

And that was precisely what their small group did. Strolling around to look at the pool, the group naturally split up to take in the sights and sounds of the water.

Stepping closer to the pool’s edge, Yuuri couldn’t help but feel his heart rate increasing as he realized that Viktor had stayed back with him, leaving the two of them alone.

“Wow…” Viktor spoke, breaking the silence between them, “This is quite the swimming pool.”

“Well, i-it’s not really for swimming…” Yuuri mustered his words carefully, “It’s more just to look at.”

The older prince gave a confused look. “You mean even with the warm weather you have here, your family didn’t intend to use this enormous pool for swimming?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at how ridiculous Viktor made it sound. “I suppose, yes. But, even though it wasn’t initially meant for it, I still admit I did swim in it more than once when I was younger, haha.”

Viktor seemed to smile at that. “My, Yuuri, such a rebel.” It sounded condescending, but Yuuri could tell that the other prince was simply teasing him.

“Yes, the same kind of rebel that goes off by himself at a royal ball,” Yuuri teased back before turning on his heels to meander around some more. He didn’t see Viktor’s expression at his comment, but he did hear what sounded like the semblance of a laugh. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of making Viktor laugh more. It was a beautiful sound.

Before Yuuri had walked too far from the silver-haired prince, however, he remembered something that he had been contemplating all morning. Turning to face Viktor again, he spoke up.

“Umm, I was actually wondering…” the brunette muttered nervously, “Would you like to join me for tea later on this afternoon?”

The Moon Prince first gave a look of surprise, but quickly switched to a gorgeous smile.

“Absolutely, Yuuri.”

“O-okay! Good, I think I should be ready around four, since my tutoring session ends a half hour before that,” Yuuri explained, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of spending more time with Viktor.

The blue-eyed man nodded. “That sounds fine to me. I’ll come to your room at four, then.”

With a smile, Yuuri nodded in acknowledgment of the other man, and quickly turned on his heels to meet up with the others again.

His heart wouldn’t stop doing flips for the entire rest of the morning.

***

When he was a child, and even up to the present day, Yuuri often wondered what his life could have been like if he hadn’t been born a prince. Regardless of whether or not it was possible, how would his fate be affected if he were to have lived at a different time, perhaps even in a different world? The endless possibilities raced through his mind. Perhaps he would have been a professional dancer? The thought of it always caused him to smile most. Then again, he would have even been happy as a simple baker, or an artist, maybe an author. He even wondered if there was a chance he could have been born in the Moon Kingdom. Would he have still met Viktor if things were different? What would Viktor be in a different world…?

“Yuuri, are you listening?”

The brunette prince was suddenly torn from his daydreaming. Realizing that he had, in fact, been staring out the nearby window, he then turned to face his teacher, only to be greeted by her face just inches from his own, her mouth visibly having formed into a scowl.

“Is daydreaming really more important than understanding the responsibilities of the members of the royal cabinet?” Minako chided, raising an expectant eyebrow at her pupil.

“What? Uhh… no, it’s not.”

“Glad to hear it,” the long-haired woman confirmed before pulling back and standing straight again. “Shall we continue?”

“Um, well…” Yuuri’s eyes fell to look at his hands for a moment.

“Yes?”

“D-don’t you think that maybe I should know things about the other kingdoms as well?”

“Maybe, but why?” Minako asked, giving a curious expression.

“It’s just… Well, I’m going to be… marrying Princess Mila, and now that I think about it, I know next to nothing about the Moon Kingdom. I’d… I’d like to know more, both for her sake and for myself.”

Looking down at the prince, Minako’s face formed into a warm smile.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Yuuri,” she responded. “It’s good to see you making some effort on your own for once.” 

The prince visibly perked up at his teacher’s words of praise. Since he had only rarely left the palace for international events with his parents, he hadn’t gotten the chance to learn about other cultures. Minako-sensei, however, had travelled the world, therefore making her the best source available for him to know more about what was outside the palace walls.

“Does this mean you will teach me about it?” he asked, daring to be at least a little excited.

“Of course!” the woman replied with a grin. “We can even start now.”

Yuuri’s face lit up, and he could feel himself anxiously shift on the edge of his chair. He watched as Minako-sensei closed the book she was holding before she spoke again.

“I’d like a five-thousand word paper comparing and contrasting the cultures of the sun and moon kingdoms by the end of the month! At least three paragraphs for the main body, and of course an introduction and conclusion. Don’t forget to site all the books that you read! I’d recommend at least five of them-- good thing we have such an extensive library here in the palace!”

Yuuri regretted ever mentioning it in the first place.

***

After his lessons with Minako, Yuuri had returned to his chambers to find a plethora of cakes and chocolates already laid out on the table in the center of the main room, accompanied by the fine china of a tea set, which Phichit was currently setting carefully onto the tabletop.

“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” the black-haired boy said to his friend without looking away from his task, “You only have five minutes until Viktor gets here.”

Yuuri sucked a breath in at the reminder. Rather, he hadn’t even needed the reminder at all. He was overly aware of the fact that his foolish past self had invited Viktor-- beautiful, outgoing, flawless Viktor-- to have tea with him. Now that it was just moments before the Moon Prince would arrive, however, Yuuri was beginning to have second thoughts.

Before the second-guessing could even begin to worm its way into his mind, though, a firm knocking was suddenly heard at the door.

_ Crap, he’s early! _

Realizing that he still had his books from his tutoring session in his arms, Yuuri sped into his bedroom before tossing the books haphazardly onto the bed checking himself in the mirror.

“Phichit, c-can you get the door?” the brunette called into the other room.

“Sure!” Phichit responded, a slight giggle present in his answer.

As he was flattening out his clothing and fixing his messy hair, Yuuri listened as his best friend and attendant opened the door in the other room and greeted their guest.

“Welcome, Your Highness~” Phichit spoke in a warm tone.

“Hello-- Phichit, right?” Even just listening from his bedroom, Yuuri felt a warmth rise up in him from hearing the soothing tone of the other prince’s voice. It was almost magic, the way Viktor managed to be so ethereal without even seeming to try.

“Yes,” Yuuri heard Phichit reply, “Yuuri will be out soon, his lessons ran late so he’s just getting ready.”

“That’s fine, I realize I’m a bit early,” Viktor responded. Yuuri heard the sound of a chair being pulled out and scooted in-- he must’ve sat down at the table. “So, you seem to be good friends with Yuuri?”

“Oh yes!” Phichit answered. Yuuri could almost hear the smile that was no doubt plastered on the tan boy’s face. “We’ve known each other since childhood.”

“Really! Has Yuuri always been this cute?” Viktor asked in an excited tone.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Yuuri almost choked on his own saliva.

Phichit, however, was seemingly unfazed, because he promptly responded with a, “Of course! He was chubby as a kid, but I think he’s cute all the time, no matter what weight he’s at.”

“Aww, I’m sure I’d have to agree,” the Moon Prince replied happily. 

_ I can’t let them keep talking about me like this--!  _ Yuuri thought to himself.

Taking a deep breath, the Sun Prince opened the door into the lounge and stepped in to greet his attendant and guest. 

Upon noticing the other man entering the room, Viktor stood from his place at the table with a smile and a polite, “Hello, Yuuri.”

“H-hi, Viktor,” the brunette replied before joining the other royal at the table.

As Phichit poured their tea for them, Viktor expertly struck up a conversation. “How were your tutoring lessons today?”

“Normal, except for the fact that I was suddenly bombarded with a surprise assignment by my teacher as punishment for daydreaming…” Yuuri admitted, earning a laugh from the older man.

“Really? And what were you daydreaming about?” Viktor asked.

_ You. _

“Oh, just about what it’ll be like once I’m… married, and won’t have to take lessons anymore,” Yuuri responded. It was a lie, but Viktor couldn’t know what he  _ really  _ wanted-- especially since it was impossible to begin with. 

Luckily, it seemed that he had lied well enough to fool Viktor, because he simply continued the conversation. “Ah, yes, I remember when I finished my lessons. Granted, it was because I had gotten too old for them, not because of marriage. It was nice at first, having so much free time, but I have to admit that I eventually became extremely bored with nothing to occupy myself.”

That comment piqued Yuuri’s interest. Viktor, bored? He must have had flocks of people who wanted to spend time with him, though. Taking walks, having dinner, playing games, entertaining each other...

Then an unwanted thought entered Yuuri’s mind-- Viktor, sating his boredom by spending the night in bed with a beautiful court girl. Though he was sure that was something that happened often for the Moon Prince, it still felt extremely wrong to think of. Not just because of his feelings for the man, but also because it wasn’t his place to think of the other prince like that, period. He immediately wished that he could rescind the thought.

“So what was the extra assignment that your tutor ended up giving you?” Viktor asked, withdrawing Yuuri from his contemplation.

“W-well, she decided that since I’m going to be marrying the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, that I should know more about its history and culture. So I have to write a five-thousand word paper comparing the Sun and Moon kingdoms in those regards.”

“Wow!” Viktor said after taking a sip of his tea, “That almost makes me happy again that I don’t have to take lessons anymore.”

Yuuri gave a small laugh. “Yes, well, I suppose it’s my own fault for being an airhead today.”

“Would you like me to help you?”

“...What?”

“Would you like me to help you?” Viktor repeated. “With your paper. Since I’m the heir of the Moon Kingdom, and it’s technically my job to know about its inner workings, I think I could probably make that five-thousand word paper practically write itself.”

Yuuri didn’t answer at first. All he could manage to do was look at the other prince with a dumbfounded expression. Did Viktor really want to do something as boring and tedious as helping him with his homework? The entire idea left him flabbergasted.

“Um, unless you want to do the research yourself…” Viktor muttered, filling the silence in the room.

“No!” Yuuri exclaimed. “I mean-- yes! Please help me, if you want. I’d love to--” he caught himself.

_ I’d love to spend as much time with you as I can. _

“-- I’d love to know more about the Moon Kingdom,” he finished.

Viktor flashed a gorgeous grin. “Perfect. It’s a date then.”

_ A DATE?  _ The thought caused Yuuri’s face to heat up. Viktor really had to pick the worst possible expression for meeting up and doing homework?

“Th-thank you, for offering to help like that,” Yuuri stammered meekly.

“Of course, it’s no problem for me,” the blue-eyed prince responded cheerfully.

“Are you really that bored here, that helping me with my homework is all you can do to fill your time?” Yuuri asked with a nervous laugh before taking a sip of his tea.

“I didn’t offer because I’m bored, Yuuri,” Viktor replied in a serious tone, catching the brown-eyed prince off guard.

“O-oh?”

“I offered because I genuinely want to help you out. It’s been obvious from the first time we met that you... have enough on your mind. I’d like to help take some of that weight off of your shoulders.”

_ Oh. _

“Wow, um…” Yuuri shifted his gaze down, embarrassed that Viktor had been able to basically see right through him. “Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Yuuri,” Viktor responded, his voice gaining a lighter tone once more. “I just don’t like seeing you downplay yourself like that. I’m not giving my time to you on a whim, or out of boredom.”

“R-really?” Yuuri muttered in reply, almost inaudibly. 

“To be honest,” Viktor continued, “I’ve been hoping to know more about you, Yuuri. You are an enigma to me.”

_ He wants to know more about  _ me _? _

Yuuri took a deep breath. “I… I’d like to know more about you as well! Not just about the Moon Kingdom, but about you… as a person…”

Yuuri felt like his heart would beat right out of his chest. The last part of that sentence had come out way more intimate than he had intended, but it just sort of slipped out.

Viktor didn’t seem to mind, however. Rather than looking disturbed or disgusted, his expression shifted into something that Yuuri had never seen-- the small upturn of his mouth into a smile, his eyelids lowering slightly, and his irises darkening into a heavy gaze to stare at Yuuri directly, so that brown eyes met deep ocean blue. 

Yuuri would happily drown in those eyes any day.

The moment was suddenly broken, however, when Yuuri heard the door click closed. Instinctively, he turned away from Viktor’s gaze to find that Phichit was no longer anywhere to be found.

“Did Phichit just leave?” he muttered.

“I suppose he did,” Viktor replied, “Perhaps he had other duties to attend to?”

“Maybe…” Yuuri mumbled. However, internally, he knew why Phichit had left. He was giving them alone time.

_ I don’t know whether to punch you or kiss you, Phichit. _

“Yuuri,” Viktor spoke, tearing the brunette prince from his thoughts, “Could we go out onto the veranda? I’d like to watch the sunset!”

“Oh, of course,” Yuuri replied with a smile. To be honest, he had been too preoccupied to even notice the late evening’s waning light, but now that Viktor had mentioned it, the yellow-orange of the setting sun was exceptionally more beautiful than usual.

Or maybe that was just because Viktor was there? Yuuri couldn’t decide.

Together, the two men sat up from the table and headed over to the wide double doors which led out to the large balcony. Stepping out into the crisp air, Yuuri couldn’t help but appreciate just how relaxed he suddenly felt, which was a new concept when being in Viktor’s presence.

“Wow, you get an amazing view from here,” Viktor commented, leaning on the marble balustrade and looking out to the west.

“It is, isn’t it?” Yuuri concurred as he joined the other prince, “We’re up on the fourth floor, so not even the trees are in the way.”

“It also helps that your palace is out here in the countryside,” the older man added. “Back home, our palace is in the center of the capital city, so sometimes the neighboring buildings get in the way of the views from the windows. Thankfully the upper floors don’t really have that problem, though.”

Yuuri smiled when he imagined what the Moon Palace might look like. True, it wasn’t as good as actually going there to see it, but it was better than nothing. He also wondered what Viktor’s rooms back at home might look like…

“Tell me more about your life back home?” Yuuri asked, turning his head to look at the silver-haired man.

Viktor looked slightly taken aback, but smiled peacefully and nodded. “Let’s see… Well, I often spend time in our library reading, or playing games with Mila and Yuri, or spending time with Chris. Unfortunately, you can imagine my father is a very busy man, so I don’t get to see him very much,”

“Oh!” Viktor raised a finger as a gesture that he had just remembered something, “We have a dog!”

“Really?” Yuuri beamed.

“Mhm! His name is Makkachin. He’s supposed to be the family pet, but really he loves me the most.” A prideful expression decorated Viktor’s face at the comment, which caused Yuuri to giggle.

“That’s an interesting name, who thought of it?” 

Viktor laughed and absentmindedly tucked some of his hair behind his ear. “Well, you see, I did. We got him when I was ten, and for some reason I just came up with that. Even I’m not sure how I thought it up?”

Once again, Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh. It was obvious that Viktor was slightly embarrassed at admitting his strangeness as a child. However, it didn’t put him off at all. Really, it was endearing.

“I had a dog too,” he replied, wistfully looking out at the sunset as he spoke. “To be honest, I also just randomly came up with his name-- Vicchan.”

“That’s a cute name,” Viktor replied simply. “What kind of dog was he?”

“He was a little brown toy poodle. He left us a couple of years ago,” Yuuri admitted, his chest tightening slightly at the thought of his lost friend.

The feeling quickly faded, however, when he turned to see Viktor’s expression of surprise.

“W-what is it?” the brunette asked in confusion.

“Makkachin is a poodle too! He’s much bigger though-- a standard poodle-- but close enough! He’s my big brown cuddle buddy~”

Yuuri smiled as Viktor continued to gush about his precious dog. It was so refreshing, seeing how much passion he had concerning his close companion. With the look that Viktor had in his eyes as he talked about his pet, Yuuri actually couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous. Deep down, he wished that someone would look like that when talking about him. He wondered if that would ever happen.

“Sorry, I’m ranting,” Viktor confessed after a few more minutes. “Is there anything else you wanted to know about?”

“Uh, well…” Yuuri muttered, trying to think of something. “Let’s see, you mentioned your brother, sister, and father, but what about the Moon Queen? What’s she like?”

Yuuri could see the silver-haired man’s expression soften somewhat at the question, and a noticeable look of nostalgia filled his eyes as he looked out to the sunset.

“She... was bright and beautiful,” he said simply, and Yuuri immediately realized that he had touched a sensitive topic. 

“I-I’m sorry, I hadn’t known… I never heard--”

“I don’t blame you for not knowing,” Viktor spoke, easing Yuuri’s worry. “She died when I was six, which meant you must’ve been around two years old. It’s not surprising that you weren’t aware.”

Yuuri didn’t say anything more. He wasn’t sure what else he  _ could  _ say. So instead, he continued to look out at the sunset, waiting for Viktor to speak up again when he was ready. 

It wasn’t long before the older man finally broke the silence, though the words he spoke weren’t exactly what Yuuri had been expecting.

“Yuuri, you’re scared, aren’t you?”

“...What?” the brunette asked, taken by surprise at the other prince’s question.

“You’re scared,” this time, he said it more as an observation than a question. “Not just about getting married, but about your life in general.”

“I… don’t really know what you’re getting at?” Yuuri muttered quietly.

“I am too,” Viktor replied, seeming to think that was a decent enough answer to the younger man’s question. “I’m scared that I’m going to regret not taking the right chances in life.”

Once again, Yuuri was at a loss for words. He had only known this man for just over twenty-four hours, and he was already delving into topics as deep as this? At least, Yuuri  _ thought  _ this was becoming a deep conversation. He couldn’t really tell, given how cryptic Viktor was being currently.

However, there was no doubting that Yuuri could relate with what the blue-eyed man was saying. Yes, he was scared about where his life was going. He wanted to accept it for the sake of his duty and his family, but he didn’t know if he could live knowing that he had missed out on something potentially better.

Wanting to meet Viktor where he was, Yuuri broke the silence by asking, “Is there something in particular that you’ve been wanting to take a chance on?”

The question seemed to pique Viktor’s interest, because he turned to meet Yuuri’s eyes, brown once again meeting blue.

They stood like that for a single moment; Yuuri waiting for Viktor to reply, and Viktor seemingly trying to find the right words.

“...Can I answer your question with a question?” he finally spoke, filling the silence.

“Sure,” Yuuri said simply, not breaking their eye contact.

“Alright, but before I ask, I should let you know that... you don’t have to answer right away,” he spoke in a soft tone as he stepped closer, minimizing the distance between the two of them. “You just have to promise that I’ll get an answer eventually, okay?”

“Okay,” Yuuri replied breathlessly, his heart speeding up at how close Viktor suddenly was.

“And… if you want me stop, just push me away… but if you don’t…”

“What do you m--” 

Yuuri tried to speak, but was silenced by a pair of lips on his own.

Viktor’s kiss was firm, but not forceful. Not that Yuuri cared very much; he was too busy trying to mentally process what was currently happening. 

Viktor was kissing him.

Viktor wanted to kiss him.

Viktor was asking if they could continue to kiss?

That was all that Yuuri’s mind needed to process before his body reacted. Leaning up into Viktor, the younger prince began to move his mouth along with the other man’s, kissing him back and deepening the kiss with flicks of his tongue against Viktor’s lips. He felt a sharp intake of breath and a shiver of surprise run through Viktor as he slid his arms up around his neck and shoulders so that he could get a better angle as they kissed, the movements of their lips gaining a hint of careful passion.

Noticing as Viktor’s arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer so that their chests were flush against one another, Yuuri felt a surge of happiness as hormones raced through his body. How had he even lived before? Nothing he had ever experienced in his life could even compare to how good this was. The dancing of the previous night had been the hint that he had needed, and now here he was, getting drunk off of the feeling of kissing Viktor.

As much as he objected to it, however, he unfortunately needed to breathe. Breaking the kiss, Yuuri took in heated breaths, keeping his face close to Viktor’s and looking up with half-lidded eyes into ones that looked like ocean-colored gems.

“Can I take that as an answer?” Viktor spoke softly, seeming to search Yuuri’s eyes for a response.

“What… what was the question again?” Yuuri managed to say. The reply seemed to please Viktor, because he simply laughed breathlessly and leaned in once again for another kiss-- this time, one that only lasted for a couple of seconds.

“Viktor, I’m… I’m still not sure I totally understand the question,” Yuuri admitted, his mind still clouded.

“Ahh, I see…” Viktor muttered, thinking for a moment. “I suppose I will have to ask with my words then.”

“That would help,” Yuuri replied.

“Well… I guess to put it simply, I’d like to... take a chance with you,” Viktor spoke in a low tone. “I didn’t want to regret not asking you. And thankfully, it seems that at least some of my suspicions were correct. But I need a direct answer from you, Yuuri.”

Looking up at the older man, Yuuri was dumbfounded. Was Viktor asking to spend the night with him? Did he want them to take their time? Did he just want to be friends with benefits? Or perhaps… there were deeper feelings behind the kiss? Viktor just wasn’t being completely clear.

But then again, Yuuri didn’t really mind either way. Compared to having nothing, and simply marrying Mila and surrendering to his fate of being lonely for the rest of his life, anything was better. The fact that it was wonderful, gorgeous Viktor only made it even more appealing.

When thinking of it that way, he already knew the answer.

“Yes,” he replied softly, lifting his hands to caress Viktor’s face.

Immediately, a glint of brightness seemed to shine in the blue of Viktor’s eyes. Yuuri wondered if this was the same brightness that he had described about his mother. Even moreso, he wondered if he himself had the same look in his eyes at that moment. It certainly felt like he did.

Suddenly, the comfortable silence was broken between them when a knock was heard on the door inside.

Reluctantly, Yuuri broke from Viktor’s embrace, and together they went back indoors. With the sun having just completely disappeared over the horizon, Viktor closed the balcony double doors as Yuuri went to answer the knocking, only to be greeted by Phichit once more.

“Oh, you’re back,” Yuuri spoke.

“Yeah, hope you didn’t have  _ too  _ much fun while I was gone,” the tan man half-whispered with a wink.

“ _ Phichit… _ ”

“Either way, you’d better clean up. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” he spoke matter-of-factly. “You’ll like it! The cooks decided to serve Katsudon.”

At the mention of his favorite dish, Yuuri felt his mouth water.

Kisses  _ and  _ katsudon? For some reason, the heavens must’ve decided to smile down on him today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come and follow me on Tumblr at oathkeeperwrites.tumblr.com!


	5. Until Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor and Yuuri spend the day together, and some developments occur amongst the side characters!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... am ashamed. That's all I can say.
> 
> Not only did my stupid ass decide to tack on another fic to write, but then my life got hectic and I ended up not updating this for 3 months! Three!!!
> 
> It's a bit too much to explain everything that has been changing for me as of late, but just know that I am in a good place and things have settled back into a semblance of normalcy!
> 
> I hope some of you are still reading this, and that you'll forgive me for my disappearance. This chapter is for all of you.
> 
> I have no Beta.

All throughout dinner, Yuuri could feel a set of intense blue eyes watching him.

In all honesty, he wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about Viktor’s gaze as they and the other members of their families ate their katsudon in the lavish dining room. Sure, various conversations continued around them, and Yuuri managed to be a part of them throughout the duration of the meal, but Viktor was… unnaturally quiet.

In some way, Yuuri felt slightly flattered that Viktor couldn’t keep his eyes off him. On the other hand, however, there was this overwhelming feeling of being crushed under the weight of the older man’s stare. After all, how could the sight of him eating dinner be interesting in the first place? If anything, Yuuri imagined that he looked more pig than human as he wolfed down the delicious pork and rice that were piled up in his bowl.

“This shit is… amazing,” Yuri muttered in surprise next to him as he took bite after bite of his meal. It was a compliment, surely, but his swearing still earned him a smack on the back of the head from Mila.

Hiroko, however, didn’t seem to care much, as she simply giggled happily from across the table.

“It’s good to see that you’re enjoying our local cuisine!” the queen chirped, “We will have to make sure you try as many of the popular dishes as possible during your stay here.”

From what Yuuri could see, even Viktor was loving the katsudon, as his bowl was already completely empty-- but when did that happen? He hadn’t even seen the other man take a single bite. Perhaps that was just proof to show just how much Yuuri was completely out of it at the moment. The feeling of Viktor’s lips on his own was still so fresh in his mind from earlier, that everything in his current reality seemed to be foggy, or even sped up somehow. It was a difficult feeling to describe.

Before he knew it, the group had finished the remaining courses of their meal, and dinner was promptly concluded. Though it should have concerned Yuuri that Viktor hadn’t said a single word to him throughout the entire meal, it really didn’t; if they were going to keep their relations-- whatever they were-- to themselves, it was best to act as disinterested with each other in public as they could, anyways. At the very least, they would have to put on the facade of a purely platonic relationship and nothing more.

Beneath the surface, though, he felt that there was  _ so  _ much more. Exactly  _ how  _ much more… was another matter entirely.

After parting with the rest of his family, Yuuri walked quietly by himself through the hallways to return to his chambers. However, he was suddenly halted by a strong hand on his shoulder.

“Yuuri…”

There was no doubting who that heady voice belonged to.

Turning to face Viktor, Yuuri could feel his heart pick up its pace. They were alone again, in a dimly-lit part of the hallway where no one would bother to come at this hour of the night, and Viktor looked the same way that he had on the balcony just a couple hours before-- entranced, interested only in looking at Yuuri and nothing else.

“Viktor,” Yuuri replied in the calmest tone that he could muster, “I-is something wrong?”

Reaching his other hand to cup Yuuri’s shoulder, Viktor inched his face closer.

“No, of course not,” he spoke softly, “Quite the opposite, actually.”

Yuuri felt his shoulder blades touch the wall before he realized that Viktor had been pushing him back towards it. It helped hold him steady, which he was thankful for, but it also meant that Viktor was the only thing in his line of vision now. Not that he really minded, though. He could look at the older man for eternity without any complaints.

A heavy silence hung between the two of them-- not one of awkwardness, but rather one of longing. As though they were just magnetizing towards one another and the only way this could end was for their polarities to meet.

Yuuri wanted to fill the silence between by saying something else, but the words simply didn’t come. Instead, all he could manage to do was get lost in Viktor’s eyes. With the golden light from the wall sconces mingling with the deep blue, his eyes were reminiscent of the sun setting on the ocean. It was almost hypnotizing.

And no less than a second later, those eyes closed, only for Yuuri to be met with the still-new sensation of their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss.

Feeling shock waves running through his body from the other man’s touch, Yuuri couldn’t help but let out a small moan against Viktor’s mouth. He didn’t think much of it, but it certainly seemed to egg Viktor on, as was proven by his hands trailing down to Yuuri’s hips, caressing them in a circular motion with his thumbs.

Damn, the things Viktor could do with such small touches. He was immensely better at this than Yuuri was. The thought made him shiver.

The kiss ended too soon for his liking, however, and the Sun Prince whimpered when the older man pulled back for air. The two of them retained a close proximity, however, enough so that they could each feel the warmth of every exhale as they caught their breaths.

“Sorry if that was… forward,” Viktor muttered in a husky tone, “I just needed to get one last taste of you before I went to bed.”

The blue-eyed prince’s words caused a newfound heat to rise to Yuuri’s cheeks.  _ That’s  _ what he had been staring at him all throughout dinner for? He wanted to kiss again? Not that Yuuri was really complaining; he had been thinking the same thing. He just didn’t have the nerve to show it as much.

“It’s… it’s okay, I liked it,” Yuuri muttered, feeling his face heat up even more with a tinge of embarrassment.

Viktor, however, looked relieved-- even pleased-- at his response.

“How would you like to spend time together tomorrow?” he questioned. “I could help you with your paper, or if you didn’t feel like doing that then we could just go for a stroll in the gardens again. Whatever you like.”

Yuuri was all smiles. There was nothing that he wanted more than to spend more time with Viktor. 

“Alright!” he replied, “Is… is both okay?”

Viktor caressed Yuuri’s cheek with a smile. “Of course, both sounds wonderful. I can’t wait.”

After agreeing to meet tomorrow morning in the library, the two bid each other goodnight before reluctantly parting ways. As he continued the trek to his bedroom, Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder how he became so lucky to have the affections of someone as enchanting as Viktor. 

The thought plagued him even as he undressed, crawled into bed, and drifted into a deep sleep.

***

Despite having slept so well the previous night, Yuuri currently never felt more dead.

He and Viktor had been brainstorming topics and outlining a basic structure of his paper for nearly three hours now, and the brunette prince was more than ready to be through with it. With all the talking, writing, and note-taking, Yuuri’s brain was beyond fried. 

The only thing that had seemed to keep him going was the fact that Viktor was there with him. In all honesty, however, the younger prince had been subconsciously diverting half of his concentration to simply watch the older man; his cerulean eyes, his hair as it glinted in the light from the windows, his mouth as he talked about his homeland, and even his slender hands as he gestured in emphasis along with his words. There were simply no flaws, and the fact left Yuuri in silent awe.

However, he momentarily broke the cycle of watching the Moon Prince to give a heavy sigh, allowing his head to drop to the tabletop with a small ‘thud’. 

“Should I take that as a sign that you want to be done for today?” Viktor’s cool voice filled the space between them.

“Uggghhhhh…” Yuuri simply groaned response, earning a laugh from the silver-haired man.

“You certainly say a lot without even using words, Yuuri,” he commented before closing the book that was laid out in front of them. “All right, I hear you, let’s give it a rest. Shall we get out of this musty, old library and head out for some sun?”

At the mention of going outside, Yuuri perked his head up.

Together, they promptly made their way out of the library and through the entrance to the gardens without any difficulty. They did end up passing by some guards, but Yuuri knew that they were silent on their duty, and guessed that they wouldn’t consider a sighting of the two princes alone together to be an oddity.

As the pair walked together, surrounded by the plant life that filled the gardens, Yuuri couldn’t help but steal glances at Viktor with every chance he was given.

In all honesty, the brown-eyed prince was still not able to fully wrap his mind around what had happened the previous night. He constantly found himself thinking about it, and in turn, getting shivers up his spine at the memory. Not only had they kissed--  _ twice--  _ but Viktor’s admission after dinner only proved that he had been thinking about Yuuri, as well. The thought of it caused Yuuri’s face to heat up a little bit.

If Viktor continued to want to kiss more, then wouldn’t it eventually lead to--

“Yuuri, are you alright?” Viktor asked in concern. “Your face looks so red. You’re not too hot, are you?”

“W-what? Oh, no! I’m just… uh…!”

Before Yuuri could come up with a half-assed explanation, though, Viktor was already grinning mischievously. “You were having dirty thoughts, weren’t you?”

Yuuri’s heart was practically beating out of his chest at the other man’s impeccable intuition, so much so that he couldn’t even form words for a proper response. 

“I-- Uh, well, I just--”

Viktor’s shit-eating grin quickly formed back into its usual heart-shape, though, and he let out a small giggle as he continued walking. “Just kidding! I’m only teasing you, Yuuri.”

Yuuri grasped at his chest, unsure just how much of Viktor’s teasing his poor heart could handle.

“Come to think of it, though,” Viktor muttered, “It is actually pretty hot today. I hadn’t even noticed before since we were inside for such a long time. Is there maybe someplace we could sit in the shade?”

“Oh! Uh… Yeah, I know a place,” Yuuri answered, pointing over to the west, “It’s just over this way.”

“Perfect!” Viktor chirped with enthusiasm. “Then let’s go.”

It didn’t take very long to reach the spot that Yuuri had mentioned, and just as the sun was nearing the highest point in the sky, the pair of princes rounded a corner of shrubs to find a small shaded glade, surrounded by tall trees and covered in lush green grass which was intermixed with countless blue flowers.

“Wow!” Viktor exclaimed. “It feels like we’re actually in the forest.”

With a smile, Yuuri led the Moon Prince into the shady clearing, and sat himself down onto the soft greenery. Viktor quickly followed suit.

“Technically, we almost really are in the forest,” Yuuri explained. “This spot is on the edge of the palace gardens, and just beyond are the vast woodlands. I really like to come out here sometimes just to be by myself, since not many people know that this exists.”

“Really?” Viktor leaned back on his hands and gazed up at the tree branches above them. “Well then, I’m really happy that you decided to show your secret hiding place, Yuuri.”

The comment took Yuuri by surprise, since he never really thought of the place as being ‘secret’-- surely the fountain at the center of the hedge maze was more secretive, considering how difficult it actually was to get there. Really, anybody could just stumble upon this place if they wanted to. It just happened to be so out of the way that nobody ever did.

However, Yuuri understood what Viktor was implying-- this place did hold some emotional significance to him, considering it was his go-to for whenever he was feeling socially distant and wanted to be alone.

Except now, he  _ wasn’t  _ alone.

Somehow, Viktor had popped out from seemingly nowhere. True, Yuuri had known his entire life that the Moon Prince existed and was around his age, but he never actively thought about him until recently. And better yet, he actually  _ liked  _ Yuuri? It all seemed so surreal, almost impossible.

But Yuuri wasn’t going to waste time thinking about how shocking it all was-- he was going to enjoy it and take it at face value for what it was: a small gift of happiness before he and Mila were to be married. Sure, it was a bit morbid to think that this thing with Viktor-- whatever it was-- was only going to last for a few months, but hell, it was more than Yuuri had ever dared to hope for.

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri savored the fresh air around them, thankful for the coolness of the breeze despite the unforgiving sun that they had been enduring before.

“Yuuri?” Viktor asked in a hushed tone.

“Hmm?” Yuuri hummed, turning to his right to look at the older prince. He hadn’t noticed before, but Viktor was now completely horizontal, lying comfortably on the soft grass and flowers as he gazed up at the hints of blue sky that peeked between the tree leaves.

“I mean it, thank you for bringing me here,” Viktor reiterated. “Actually, I guess I should thank you for choosing to spend your entire day with me. I’ve felt… somewhat lonely for awhile now.”

“But what about your siblings?” Yuuri asked. “I mean, Mari and I are pretty close I guess… But we don’t talk nearly as much as you and Mila and Yuri.”

Viktor gave a soft smile. “Of course, they definitely don’t make things boring, but… Most of the time I tend to not even see them as siblings, really. It feels like they’re really my own children.”

“Oh, because of… Your mom?”

“Yes,” Viktor replied quietly. “After she passed, it fell to me to raise them. I mean, of course we had maids to take care of all of our needs and everything, but mostly they left us on our own to play in the nursery. Since I was the eldest, I had to emotionally be there for Mila, who was two, and Yuri, who was just an infant. We were like that all the way up until I turned fifteen and my father sent me to the military academy.”

“So, in a sense, you were their parent?”

“I suppose you could call it that, yes,” Viktor admitted. “Though, when you say it that way it makes me think that maybe I failed with raising little Yuri,” he added with a nervous laugh.

Yuuri thought for a moment before speaking. “I don’t think you failed.”

“Umm… Yuuri, you met him, didn’t you? You can obviously see where I failed.” Viktor retorted.

Yuuri laughed softly. “Well yeah, he swears more than he should, and he’s not afraid to say exactly what he’s thinking, but... Even from just a few days of knowing him, I can see that he has a good heart. He obviously cares about Mila, he chose to be a part of the group with us yesterday, and I can tell he’s sweet to Otabek. Also, even if he’ll never admit it, I know that he genuinely loves his older brother, too.”

Yuuri hadn’t even noticed, but once he was finished speaking, he turned to find that Viktor had risen into a seated position again, and was gazing up at him with wide eyes.

“Wow, Yuuri…” Viktor murmured, awestruck at the younger prince’s words. “You’re the first person to warm up to him so quickly.”

“Oh! Am I? Well…” Yuuri stammered, unsure of what to say. “I just... hope that he eventually warms up to me as well.”

Viktor laughed softly. “I’m sure that once he realizes how sweet you are, he will.”

Yuuri felt himself blush again at that. He  _ really  _ wasn’t used to being complimented.

“I’m not really anything special, but thank you…” he murmured awkwardly.

“Nonsense!” Viktor exclaimed, taking Yuuri’s hands into his own. “You  _ are  _ sweet! And smart, and genuine, and…”

“V-Viktor…!” Yuuri stuttered in embarrassment. “Please, enough with the compliments…”

“What, you mean I can never compliment you?” Viktor whined, gazing up at Yuuri with puppy dog eyes. “Then how will I let you know how wonderful I think you are?”

Now Yuuri  _ really  _ didn’t know what to say to that.

“I… I mean, you can still do it, just… Maybe keep it to a minimum?”

“What, like only one compliment a day?” Viktor asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, that actually sounds about right,” Yuuri replied simply, unaware that Viktor was far from serious.

“Yuuriiiii…” Viktor groaned in defeat.

“After all, Viktor, you’re…” Yuuri struggled to say the right words, “You’re really far more desirable than me.”

“No.”

“No?” Yuuri repeated in confusion.

“No,” Viktor confirmed, “And I’ll prove it to you, one day.”

“Uh, Viktor, I don’t really think that’s how it--”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Viktor leaned in and pressed their mouths together, effectively shutting the brunette up in the process.

At first, Yuuri was caught completely by surprise, still not fully used to kissing Viktor. However, the silver-haired prince pulled away before he even had a chance to do much, anyways. 

Locking their eyes, Viktor reached a hand up to caress Yuuri’s cheek, just beneath where his glasses sat.

“That’s enough self-deprecation for today, Yuuri,” Viktor spoke in a velvety voice. “Now I want to get to the  _ real  _ reason why you brought me to your secret hideout.”

What did he mean the ‘real reason’? They wanted to be in the shade!

“Viktor, it’s not secret, anybody could find us here if they wanted to.”

This however, didn’t seem to deter the Moon Prince, as he leaned in shamelessly close to Yuuri, close enough that their foreheads were touching. With a smile, he slid his hand from Yuuri’s cheek down to his chin and mouth and proceeded to rub at the younger man’s bottom lip with his thumb.

“Could they now? Then I suppose we’ll have to be careful.”

This time, Viktor tilted Yuuri’s chin upwards, meaning that the brunette was actually ready for the kiss. As their mouths reunited, it immediately felt as if a spark had been ignited inside Yuuri’s chest, and he easily let himself fall into the feeling of it. Sliding his hands up the older prince’s arms to wrap around his shoulders, Yuuri happily twirled the hairs at the base of Viktor’s neck as they pressed their bodies closer to one another. 

Feeling Viktor’s tongue slide against his lips, Yuuri breathed out a soft moan, which seemed to encourage the older man even more. With this newfound confidence, Viktor’s hands grazed down Yuuri’s chest to settle at his waistline, where he rubbed tantalizing circles into the fabric cinched there. And, even with his clothing serving as a barrier between the two of them, the sensation of it sent heatwaves through Yuuri’s body, all the way down to the apex of his legs. But it wasn’t enough.

The urge to feel Viktor’s body against his was starting to become overwhelming.

It appeared that Viktor was of a similar mindset, however, as he gently pushed Yuuri’s torso backwards to lay down, and shifted himself so that his knees rested in the grass on either side of the brunette’s thighs.

“Is this okay?” he asked, blue eyes staring into chocolate brown ones.

“Yes,” Yuuri whispered before capturing Viktor’s mouth once more.

Kissing Viktor felt like being drunk, except with less headache and more pleasure. The position that they were now in would only amplify that. Situated like this, Yuuri fully expected to feel Viktor’s hips shifting against his own, however, he quickly gathered that the older prince was carefully hovering just above him so that this wasn’t happening.

That had to be remedied.

Bending one of his own legs, Yuuri let his thigh press and rub up into the seam of Viktor’s pants, which quickly earned a reaction from the older man.

“Ahh! Yuuri…” Viktor breathed, pulling back from their kiss to rest his forehead on Yuuri’s chest.

“Is… Is something wrong?” Yuuri asked, a twinge of his anxiety welling up inside of him.

“It’s not… Erm, wrong, per se…” Viktor mumbled in response, staying frozen in place, “It’s just that… I’m already very, very hard.”

“...And why’s that stopping you?” Yuuri blurted before he could realize how forward he was being. Immediately, he slapped his hands over his mouth in embarrassment. “I mean…! Umm…”

“Oh, Yuuri, you’re going to be the death of me…” Viktor spoke, finally raising his head up to look at the younger man. “I just… I don’t want to scare you, or make you feel uncomfortable.”

Lowering his hands, Yuuri replied with a smile. “How could you scare me if  _ I  _ was the one who was initiating it?”

“Well, because  _ I’m  _ the one who’s hard! I didn’t… I don’t want you to think that you’re under pressure to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle a little bit at Viktor’s words, but inwardly he really did appreciate the other man’s thoughtfulness. It was sweet, and it felt good to know how carefully Viktor was trying to make sure Yuuri felt safe.

“Thank you, Viktor,” Yuuri replied genuinely, “I will definitely let you know if any lines get crossed. But just so you know, I’m hard too.”

Absentmindedly shifting his gaze down, Viktor visibly confirmed that Yuuri was right. They both had issues with the fit of their trousers at the moment, though they certainly weren’t at full hardness yet. However, if they continued, things were likely to become almost unmanageable without release.

“Though it’s… probably for the best that you stopped,” Yuuri reluctantly admitted. “I’m not ready for… that sort of thing yet, plus I’d be too afraid of someone catching us out here.”

“Mmm,” Viktor hummed in agreement. “Then, can we just lay here together for a little while longer? The breeze feels really nice.”

Yuuri nodded with a smile. “Of course we can.”

Shifting to lay down on his back again, Viktor motioned for Yuuri to come closer. The brunette happily obliged, and moved so that he was laying on his side, pressed up against Viktor’s torso. Closing his brown eyes, the Sun Prince gave a soft, happy sigh when Viktor offered his arm as a pillow.

They could  _ certainly  _ lay there for a little while longer if it meant  _ this.  _

***

“Mila, your bath is ready,” Sara called from the adjoining room.

“Okay, coming!” the Moon Princess replied.

Sitting up from the daybed in her drawing room, Mila made her way into the connected bathroom, where Sara had prepared a hot bubble bath for her in the porcelain, gold-claw tub.

Stepping onto the tile floor, Mila smiled as she smelled the air. “Ooh, Lavender?”

“I thought it would help relax you,” Sara replied happily.

“Of course, you know it’s my favorite flower.”

“I thought you liked Lilies?” Sara asked, a confused expression on her face. “That’s what you told me back home.”

“Oh, I like those too,” Mila responded as Sara went to work at untying the back of her dress. “But Lavender really is my favorite.”

“Because you like the scent?”

“No,” Mila admitted as Sara finished her work, the fabric of her gown falling down to the floor. “Because it’s the color of your eyes.”

Seeing her Sara’s cheeks turn red with warmth, Mila let out a soft giggle as she brought a hand up to trail through her lover’s black hair. 

“All these years together, and you still get flustered so easily?” she whispered.

“It wouldn’t happen so much if you weren’t so cheesy all the time,” Sara retorted.

Mila chuckled at the darker woman’s response, but it was undeniably true; considering both her and Viktor’s dispositions, cheesiness must have been a trait that ran in their family. However, it certainly didn’t bother Mila to admit it-- she adored Sara and wanted to proudly show it whenever she could, even if those moments were only behind closed doors.

“Come on, turn around and I can undo yours, too,” Mila spoke, making a spinning gesture with her hand.

“What? But, aren’t you worried that someone will walk in?” Sara asked as she regardlessly turned around.

“Into my bathroom, in my private chambers? Of course not,” the redheaded princess dismissed the thought casually as she undid the buttons trailing down Sara’s dress, “I had been worried about that while we were traveling to get here, considering we were staying at inns and the like, but now that I am here and I am one of the guests of honor, nobody except my own personal attendant can come in without announcing themselves. And that attendant is you, so I have no worries.”

Finishing with the fastenings of the dress, Mila let the light fabric fall down to the floor as she gazed at the body of the woman she loved so much. As Sara turned to face her again, she shifted her gaze up to look into the tan girl’s amethyst eyes, which were smiling sadly at her.

“Yes, but, you won’t be a guest for long,” Sara muttered, “In fact, one could argue that you aren’t even a guest now. Everyone knows that you’re going to end up living here.”

“And you’ll stay right here with me,” Mila included. “Come on, let’s get in and enjoy the water before it gets cold.”

Together, the two young women carefully stepped into the deep tub, situating themselves so that Sara was sitting behind Mila, with the redhead facing away between Sara’s legs. Out of habit, the raven-haired woman coated her hands up with shampoo and began to lather it into Mila’s wet locks.

“Sara, you don’t have to worry,” the Princess spoke up again, this time in a more serious tone. “Even if Mickey comes banging down at the palace gates, I will not let him take you away.”

“Thank you, but it’s not just that…” Sara admitted solemnly, “I just… You’ll probably be living here for the  _ rest of your life _ and…”

“Part of you misses him already, doesn’t it?” Mila finished. She didn’t even have to look behind her to know that Sara was nodding.

“I want to be able to visit him sometime in the future, but I’m worried that if I do, he won’t let me come back…”

The truth of it all caused Mila’s heart to clench in her chest, but there was really nothing she could do to help. Sara had chosen to leave with her, and if she went back home, then it was likely that her worries would become reality, and she really wouldn’t be able to return. The only way she would be able to get around it was by eventually finding a way to contact Michele, and she knew it. Really, it went without saying.

“So, you know how I talked with Yuuri the other day?” Mila asked, trying to change the subject. “How I wanted him to know that I couldn’t return his feelings?”

Sara seemed to perk up slightly at this, her interest piqued as she rinsed out the suds from Mila’s hair. “Yeah, what happened?”

“Well, it turns out that he wasn’t upset about it! Or even sad, or disappointed.”

“Wow, really?” Sara asked in shock. “And what did he have to tell you?”

Mila paused, contemplative of whether she should say or not. True, it wasn’t her secret to tell, and she hadn’t even told her own brother about it, but damn, she just needed to tell  _ someone,  _ and if it couldn’t be Sara then who the hell else was there?

“He admitted to me that… he’s gay,” Mila blurted.

Sara nearly dropped the bottle of conditioner into the water.

“No. Way.” 

“Yes way,” Mila confirmed with a grin.

“Dammit, I could have sworn that boy was straight! Why am I always horrible at telling these things…”

“I don’t know, you’ve always been able to tell with girls, but never boys,” Mila retorted with a smirk.

“Wait,” Sara’s hands stilled again. “If he really is attracted only to men, then that means Viktor has a chance, doesn’t he?”

Mila’s grin faded, and she contemplated the thought. “Technically, yes, but if I were him I’d be scared of the hurt that will come when… when Yuuri and I have to get married.”

At the mention of this, Mila could hear Sara suck in a breath. This was a touchy subject for them, as well.

“Well…” Sara murmured, “Maybe if he likes Yuuri enough, he’ll still take the chance. After all... I’m here with you even though you’ll be married in three months.”

Mila grimaced as she stared down at the bubbles on the surface of the water. “That… That’s true, but you and I have known each other our entire lives, and we’ve been together for three years. Viktor and Yuuri just met two days ago.”

“I suppose you have a point…” Sara deferred, “It’s probably for the best, anyways. Vik has such a fragile heart that I don’t think he’d be able to handle that kind of heartbreak.”

At the mention of this, things suddenly became silent, with neither one of them really knowing what to say anymore. Without Sara even verbalizing it, Mila knew that her handmaiden was dreading the wedding almost as much as she herself was. For them, it would basically seal the deal that their relationship was not meant to be, even despite the newfound discovery concerning Yuuri’s sexuality. Really, marriage was still marriage, and it held meaning-- meaning which could never be applied to a couple like her and Sara.

“Oh, did you know that he showed me a magic wishing well?” Mila spoke up, trying to fill the silence. “Yuuri, I mean. He led me through a maze and it was just… there. Since I didn’t have any coins, I threw one of my gold earrings into it to make a wish.”

“Oh… What did you wish for?” Sara asked as she poured water over Mila’s hair to rinse it.

“I wished… that you and I would be together forever,” Mila admitted, choking on the words a little bit.

Sara’s hands froze.

“I... wish for that same thing every day.”

***

Viktor woke to a view of a pink sky peeking through the leaves overhead.

Yawning, he tried to get a handle on his bearings and remember where he had been when he fell asleep. Lately, this was a common occurrence, considering that he had been traveling for so long, and that the Sun Palace was a totally new environment to adjust to.

Oh, that’s right, he had gone into the Sun Palace gardens with Yuuri.

Yuuri!

Suddenly making note of a heaviness on his left arm, Viktor craned his neck as much as he could to get a view of the younger man next to him. And sure enough, there Yuuri was, in all his sleeping glory.

Oh, Viktor wished he could have a painting of this moment.

Yuuri looked ethereal, resting soundly on the bed of green grass. His sun-kissed skin contrasted beautifully with the light blue flowers that grew around them, and the pink light from the setting sun brought out the warm tones in his dark brown hair.

Without even thinking, Viktor curled onto his side and brought his free hand up to caress the other prince’s soft cheek.

“How are you real, Yuuri of the Sun Kingdom...?” Viktor muttered to himself.

Whether it was from hearing his name, or the feeling of Viktor’s gentle touches, Yuuri soon began to stir. With a wide yawn, the brunette rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced lazily at the older prince before him.

Of course, his face flushed with red the moment he realized where they had fallen asleep-- and, more importantly, how close they were.

“V-Viktor!” he exclaimed, bolting upright into a sitting position. “I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t even realize I was falling asleep, I--”

“It’s really alright, Yuuri,” Viktor assured with a smile as he also rose from the bed of grass. “I fell asleep too, there was no avoiding it.”

Yuuri seemed to calm a bit at this, but still donned a heavy blush. “Oh, I see…”

“Judging by the color of the sky,” Viktor mused as he fixed his hair a bit, “It seems that we slept for quite awhile. Do you know what time it is?”

“Um, well, judging by how close the sun is to the horizon, I’d say it’s around six-- Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Viktor asked, noticing Yuuri’s sudden worried expression.

“We’ll be late for dinner! We have to go!” the brown-eyed prince exclaimed as he burst up onto his feet, Viktor mimicking the same motion. “Someone… Might get suspicious if you and I are both late…”

“Yuuri, it’ll be okay,” Viktor spoke in a reassuring tone, “If we go now, we should be on time. And if anyone asks, we can just say that we were in the library working on your paper. That’s the half-truth, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeah, I guess…” Yuuri murmured, dropping his gaze to the ground.

“Okay!” Viktor chirped happily, “Let’s get back inside and eat! I’m starving!”

Taking Yuuri’s hand into his own, the silver-haired prince energetically led the pair of them at a slow jog back towards the palace. Eventually, though, Yuuri had to take over the job of navigating their way, since Viktor kept on nearly making wrong turns.

Within only a few minutes, the pair of men had made it back to the grandiose marble floors and gold leaf trimmings of the palace and began walking at a more appropriate pace through the hallways in the direction of the dining hall. Just as they reached the large double doors, however, Yuuri stopped Viktor with a hand on his shoulder.

“So, umm… Do you want to go in first?” he asked in a soft voice.

“What do you mean?” the older prince questioned.

“Well, I think it would be better if we didn’t both walk in at the same time… Just to make sure nobody assumes…”

Viktor felt his heart drop a bit at the brunette’s words, but he didn’t let his expression show it. Putting on his typical fake smile, he nodded in reluctant agreement. “Yes, you’re right, Yuuri. How about you go in first? I will wait a moment.”

“O-okay…” Yuuri muttered, letting his hand slide down Viktor’s sleeve before he broke the contact and passed through one of the large doors.

Viktor sighed heavily.

“Wow, that one’s a heartbreaker, isn’t he?” a voice spoke from behind him.

Freezing in place, Viktor shifted his gaze and turned around to find Christophe stepping out from behind an adjoining hallway.

“Gods, Chris…” Viktor groaned, his shoulders easing with relief, “I thought you were someone else…”

“Oh, were you worried I was Georgi?” the blonde man asked teasingly.

“Chris, you know I love you, but that’s not something to joke about. If Georgi really did find out…”

“You know, things would’ve probably been easier if you just had a little more self-control,” Christophe commented. “Honestly, I know the boy is cute, but I’ve never seen you so mesmerized by another person before. You’ve never shown any interest in taking a lover, and  _ now  _ of all times you choose your  _ sister’s fiancé?” _

Viktor gave a heavy sigh. His best friend had a point.

“You’re right,” he whispered, staring out the windows at the dark twilight sky, “It probably would have been easier. But I didn’t want to regret  _ not  _ taking this chance, even if it’s next to impossible for things to end well. I’m tired of just sitting and watching and letting everything be handed to me, Chris.”

Chris didn’t respond, but only hummed in contemplation. It really was out of the ordinary to see Viktor like this. However, it couldn’t really be helped anymore.

“I suppose I can only leave it to you, then,” the blonde man spoke after a moment. “Just try not to be stupid, though I know that goes totally against your nature.”

Viktor gave a soft laugh at the comment. “I promise I’ll do my best.”

Stepping around Viktor, Christophe placed a hand on the doorway before taking one last glance at his prince.

“You do have to admit, though, that boy really  _ is  _ quite the heartbreaker,” he added finally.

“Yes,” Viktor agreed with a smile, “But he’s more than worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a sucker for sweet fluff! And then of course I make them suffer at the same time. Oops.


End file.
